Alluring Nightmare
by Pika-Thunder
Summary: AU. Seiyo High. A high school that appears completely normal. However, when you throw in witchcraft, werewolves, demons, and much more in the mix, this high school isn't average. When Amu transfers mid-semester, the last thing she expects is to enroll in this atypical high school, meet odd friends, be apart of a prophecy, and meet a certain cat-like guy. Supernatural/drama/romance.
1. Welcome to Seiyo

**Hello everyone, and welcome to Alluring Nightmare. I am extremely ecstatic to finally be posting this idea that I have had in my mind for months now. I've been extremely obsessed with it, and I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I just had to publish it. I believe this story has a lot of potential. Much of this story is inspired by the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I am watching (it isn't currently on; I'm watching old episodes). Anyhow, onward to the story and disclaimer. I own nothing and please enjoy the first chapter of Alluring Nightmare!**

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_Screams filled the vast room, echoing off of the walls. They came from everywhere, yet all seemed to blend into one large bellow. No matter where one walked, they would not cease. Although it sounded as if thousands of voices were yelling at once, there were two words that could be deciphered: help me._

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The abundance of wails within my mind forced my eyes to open at once. As I awoke, I found myself face to face with my mother. She watched me, frowning. I yawned, puzzled to why she was glaring.

"It's about time you woke up," She grumbled, shaking her head in disapproval.

"What?" I stared at her in confusion.

"I have been yelling at you to wake up for almost five minutes. You were getting me worried. I almost got your father, and you know how he gets." I nodded slowly, apologizing quietly. I contemplated telling her that there were too many other screams in my mind, but I realized how crazy that would sound. Once my mother left my room after shooting me a stern expression, I stretched my arms and sat up.

These dreams had been haunting me for the past week. It was different than an average dream though. There was no image or anything; simply the sound of voices. Each time, there were many at once, but they always combined together to utter help me. What did they mean? Help me, from what? What was even screaming? I tried to shrug it off, but these dreams kept bothering me. How could I have almost the identical dream each night?

"Amu, hurry up!" I heard my mother yell again. "We have to be on the road by six!" I groaned, changing into a random pair of jeans and a shirt. I looked at my room, watching its barren state. In my mind, I could envision the plethora of posters that normally hung up in my room. I turned to the empty spot beside my bed, which previously was a table that held photographs of my best friends.

"Last one to the car picks their room last!" My little sister Ami shouted, bolting past my room. I snapped out of my trance, and gaped. I always tend to space out.

"T-That's not fair!" I exclaimed. "You don't have to carry luggage because Mom and Dad spoil you!" She stuck her tongue at me, continuing to the car. Sighing, I pulled my two giant suitcases out from my room, feeling a wave of melancholy. That was the last time I would ever be in that room, sleep in my old, comfy bed. I walked over to the door, and tripped on the rug, falling face down onto the ground. I also am a complete klutz. Often, my daydreaming habit resulted in me tripping. I stood up, realizing my parents were completely unbeknownst to my descent. That was the umpteenth time that the rug caused me to trip, and it was the last. Sighing, I pulled my suitcases out of the house, stepping into the air. I glanced back at my house, feeling tears build up in my eyes. My house was extremely small and was one story. My friends often mocked me for the size, but it was still my house and I loved it. Now, I would never be seeing it again.

"Amu, are you ready?" My father asked, smiling widely. I looked over at the moving truck, where our furniture and suitcases were stored. Was I ready? No, not at all. I didn't want to leave. However, I couldn't say that. It was happening, as much as I didn't want to. I nodded slowly, dragging my luggage over to the truck. An unfamiliar man helped lift my bags into the truck. I walked over to the car that belonged to my family. We would be driving this car which would meet up with the truck at my new home. I took a deep breath, and stepped into the car. Ami was already waiting.

"Loser! I get to pick first!" Ami stuck her tongue at me, taunting me. I sighed, not really caring. As my parents stepped into the car, my mother in the driver's seat and my father in the passenger's seat, I buckled my seatbelt. Once it fastened, I knew I was officially bound to the car. My fate was sealed, and I was on a one-way trip away from here to my new home located in the city of Seiyo. The car began to accelerate, and my old house was simply a quickened blur past my window.

I tried not to cry, as we drove past various houses, each having significant memories to me for fifteen years. We drove past so many places; the high school I only attended for a year and a half, the middle school that Ami was fortunate enough to miss out on, the elementary school that Ami enrolled in for six and a half years, and would never graduate from. Yet, Ami seemed excited. It was as if leaving behind her town that she lived in for all of her life was irrelevant to her.

I remembered the party my friends threw for me. I was completely stunned when I was walking to my friend Yua's house, and when all of my friends jumped out screaming surprise. That had been just two days ago, the only day my mother gave that spared me from packing. All of my friends chipped in to purchase me a gift, which was a frame for the photograph we took altogether. I opened the picture on my phone, sighing. We were a large group of friends, although I was not really close to everyone. Really, the only three people that I was really close to and would miss immensely were Yua, Takumi, and Deidre. My father always detested Takumi since he was a male, although he had come out in ninth grade. Yua had been devastated, since she had a giant crush on him. Though, frankly, Yua had a crush on everyone in the grade, male or female. She had always attempted to serenade people through her singing. She actually was an amazing singer, but most people were not attracted to her.

As usual, she sang at the party. Normally, she was shy about singing, the only thing she was ever shy about. However, since the party was held at her own house, she was not afraid to sing her heart out. Thanks to the aid of Deidre, who was an extremely talented poet and song writer, they wrote and sung a song dedicated to me. As they sang it, tears erupted down my cheeks. I was a complete wreck by the time I left Yua's house.

"Sissy, are you crying?" As Ami spoke, I became aware of the tears cascading down my cheeks. Shoot!

"N-No! O-Of course not!" I exclaimed quickly, wiping my eyes rapidly. "I-I'm just tired, since it's six in the morning, and I am sleepy, so my eyes got watery…heh…" I was never known for my "gifted" lies.

"Don't worry Amu, you can see your friends again," My mother tried to reassure.

"Well, you can't see Takumi!" My father exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. My father was always overprotective over Ami and me. If another boy entered out house, he always claimed he would run away, and ran to the bathroom. Each time, Ami giggled like it was the funniest thing. She always acted like she was a six-year-old, when in reality, she was twelve. Okay, when I was twelve and in sixth grade, I most certainly did not act like that. Then again, Ami was extremely spoiled, and I never was. I always had high expectations. I guess this is what teenagers constantly complain about, but it's so aggravating!

An hour passed in our car ride, and already, Ami grew impatient. She started whining loudly, prompting me to cover my ears.

"Ami, darling, what's wrong?" My mother whispered. I rolled my eyes at her concern.

"I'm bored!" Ami whined. "Are we almost there?!"

"Not quite sweetie, but it won't be long," My mother soothed.

"If four hours can be considered soon," I muttered. My mother shot me a dirty look. I hugged my knees close to my chest, sighing.

"Do you want the radio Ami doll?" My father asked. Ami nodded her head vigorously. They nodded, opening it to the pop station. I claimed that I detested pop music, but I actually found it enjoyable at times. My friend Yua always stated that she would have a song that would be the top song in the world and would be heard on this radio station. The song that had been playing terminated, and a new song began. I glanced up, never having heard this song before. Normally, this radio station repeated the same popular songs and became rapidly redundant, but this was new.

"What song is this?" I wondered, turning to my sister, the master of pop songs. To my dismay, she shrugged.

"Oh wait! I think this is the song by that debut singer everyone's talking about!" Ami exclaimed. "Meikyuu Butterfly, I think…" I nodded slowly. It was surprisingly really interesting and awesome sounding. The singer's voice was exceptional, levels above even Yua, who was talented. However, the talent was quickly ruined by Ami's attempt to sing along. The term "singing along" is used quite loosely. By "singing," Ami screams something completely off-key and the words are all mixed up. Perhaps it would make more sense if one used the term bellowing along with the song. I covered my ears, trying to block Ami out. I actually enjoyed this song, until Ami ruined it, just like almost everything else. I was especially annoyed when Ami continued "bellowing along" after the song, causing me to miss the name of the singer.

"Ami, can you shut up?" I wondered, annoyed.

"Amu! How could you say that?!" My mother lowered her voice. "This move has been really hard on her. She needs to relieve some stress." I held my hands in innocence, turning to Ami who was singing one of the replayed songs at the top of her lungs. Yeah, this move has been _really_ hard on her. I knew that this ride was going to be extremely long.

Fortunately, after she tired herself out from singing, Ami fell asleep. I smiled for the first time that day. It didn't take us too long to arrive at our new house after she fell asleep. We parked on the driveway, which was already double the size of our old one. My parents told me that I could use their car when I needed to practice for my driver's license (which of course sent my father into some tangent that I was getting too old). Since my sixteenth birthday was in September, I could receive my permit then. It was annoying, since I was one of the last birthdays in the grade.

We unloaded the luggage and furniture. There was so much of it, so many mementoes of my old home.

"Hey Amu, the movers are going to help us get everything prepared. Why don't you take Ami and look around town? Maybe you two could get some lunch?" My father suggested. The plan sounded so promising until Ami had to come with me.

"Yeah sure…" I turned to my little sister. "You coming?" She nodded happily, following me.

"Sissy! Hold my hand!" Ami whined. I raised an eyebrow.

"Ami, I'm not going to ruin my reputation _before_ I start this high school," I told her.

"But no one knows you, so how can you ruin anything before you are known?" I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it, realizing I had no comeback. Sighing in defeat, I took my little sister's hand, and walked with her around town.

To my dismay, Seiyo was quite large. It was much larger than what I was used to. Streets were packed with cars and taxis. Basically, each corner of a street had its own traffic light. We continued walking, until we got to a quieter part of town. There was much less traffic.

"Hey Amu, it's your high school!" Ami exclaimed. I turned to where her finger pointed, and gaped. Seiyo High School was quite large, probably double the size of my old high school. There were many students walking about, heading to lunch. So, we were allowed to leave the campus for lunch… That would be cool, except that I knew no one. People who left the school grounds seemed to be in their own cliques. There were a bunch of girls together who wore cheerleading attire, not just the uniforms but sweatshirts. There were also football guys, a gothic crowd, and many other groups that weren't so stereotypical.

"Wow, this high school seems so cool! I'm so jelly sissy!"

"First off, it's jealous," I murmured, rolling my eyes at my sister's text speech. "It's nothing that cool really; it's just an average high school. Focus on finishing elementary and then middle school before you get into high school." I was completely oblivious to how wrong I was about the normalcy of this high school…

Finally, we found ourselves in a town area. Nearby, there was a pizzeria, so Ami and I decided to get a slice of pizza. The pizza parlor seemed small, but cozy. I ordered two plain slices for Ami and me, and we found a table in the back.

"Mm this pizza is delicious!~" Ami exclaimed. I couldn't help but to agree with her. This pizza was definitely better than the pizza back in my old town.

"You girls like it?" I frowned as a guy made his way toward us. I crossed my arms. He laughed. "Hey, no need to tense up; I'm one of the owners of this place."

"How do you make this pizza?" Ami wondered, bouncing up and down. I glared at her, hoping to calm her down. The guy laughed.

"It's a secret recipe. But maybe if you're really curious, you can stop by again and become regular customers." He winked at us. "If you need anything else, the name's Unkai." Like that, he walked away. Shrugging it off, I led Ami out of the pizzeria, after finishing our food.

We arrived back at home, to find many of the boxes unloaded. This house was much larger than our older one. It was two stories!

"I get to pick my room now!" Ami exclaimed.

"Not so fast Ami darling. Amu gets the bigger room." I glanced up, surprised. Ami looked horrified.

"But Mom!~ I got to the car first, so I get dibs on the bigger room!" Ami whined.

"Amu's older. So she needs more space to herself and a larger room," My mother explained, giving me a smile. Ami pouted and whined. Once again, I found myself forgetting she was a sixth grader. How could this immature girl be graduating elementary school? She was not ready for middle school at all. I thanked my mother, and headed up to my bedroom.

The room was much larger than I would have anticipated. My parents and the movers already had my bed moved into my room, but other than that, it was completely empty. In my mind, I could envision where I wanted everything; what wall the posters would lie on, where my furniture and photos would be placed. I was so excited to decorate my room. As I turned my head, I realized I had a balcony. I walked onto it, enjoying the afternoon breeze. This was going to be so relaxing.

"Don't sneak any boys through there." I turned my head, facing my father. He stood beside me on the balcony.

"Why would I sneak any boys through here?" I wondered.

"I don't know. You're getting older, and you might begin to become attracted to boys." Oh god, was this the talk? I glanced over at my father. "Ami's already talking about crushes, and it's killing me!"

"Dad, I'll be fine," I promised. "I'm not really into boys."

"That's my girl!" He hugged me tightly, and I sighed. "Feel free to explore a bit more on your own after dinner. Make sure you know how to get to school, since you'll be starting school at Seiyo High tomorrow." It occurred to me that it was Monday. The students must have just returned from the February break. "Oh, it looks like the food is here!" I followed my father inside, and we both descended the stairs to eat rice. Since the dinner table was not set up yet, I ate my food on the couch, watching the television. Some weird show about a fortune teller was on.

"Hey you, the one watching this!" The fortune teller pointed directly at me, well, the camera. I raised an eyebrow at the absurdity of this. "If your sign is Libra, your life is about to make a change." Okay, that's a weird coincidence; I happen to be a Libra. However, that could be anyone; 1/12 of the people watching are Libra, right? "You have just transferred to a new place, expecting to simply begin the next chapter of your life. However, it is not quite that simple, young lady. You are commencing a new tale of your life; an entire new novel. The simplicity of your life is going to change. You will encounter supernatural beings, things you never believed were possible. However, despite the peculiar monsters and demons you will face, the most unnatural being is yourself." My mouth dropped open. I was a Libra, I just moved…? I snapped out of my daze when I felt fingers in my mouth.

"Ami move your hand!" I muttered, pushing her gently away.

"That is my reading of the day. I could be wrong; only you can know. Nobuko Saeki out!" I shrugged it off quickly. It was just a really weird coincidence. Besides, supernatural beings? Demons and monsters? That doesn't even make sense.

"Amu, please throw out your dinner," My mother scolded. "We don't want a mess already." I complied, throwing my garbage out. I told my family I was going out, and I left the house. I decided to look around the city for a bit, although I had previously with Ami. I walked around in the city, admiring the stores. There were certainly many shops, even a giant mall. If I actually made any friends, this would be extremely helpful. Nearby, there was also a dance club.

"I don't recall seeing you around here." I rapidly turned, tripping on my own feet. I began to fall to the ground, when arms surrounded me. I glanced up at the man. He had dark beady eyes that seemed to look right through you. His hair was dark blue, almost the color of midnight. He wore a black hoody and jeans. If I didn't say he was hot, I would be lying. My father would be absolutely horrified. I wondered how old he was; certainly he was a senior at least. Suddenly, it occurred to me that I was still lying in his arms. Flustered, I stood up.

"What do you want?" I wondered, crossing my arms.

"Where are you from?" He wondered curiously. I cocked an eyebrow.

"How do you know I'm not from here?" I asked.

"Someone like you, I would have seen before. You stand out." I blushed even more.

"W-What that's supposed to mean?!"

"I mean, your hair. I don't see many pinkettes around." I exhaled, realizing I was breathing deeply. "Geez, your face is all red. Do you always blush this much?"

"I-I'm not…"

"You're like a strawberry." I frowned at that comment.

"Well, look, I should be getting home. I don't even know who you are…" The guy stared at me for a few minutes. I began to back away slowly. It was late at night, so the guy could be checking me out. It frightened me immensely.

"You could be the girl of the prophecy… I can smell it…"

"Prophecy? Wait, you can _smell_…what?!" I was completely perplexed by every word that he spoke. A small smirk crossed his face, making him look exceptionally hot.

"You'll see. Here, take this." He handed me a lock. I stared at for a moment, puzzled. "It may come in handy."

"Uh… thanks?" He turned around.

"Catch you later, strawberry."

"Wait! I don't even know who you are!" Without looking at me, he paused.

"The name's Ikuto. Ikuto Tsukiyomi. And yours?"

"I'm Amu Hinamori…" I mumbled.

"Nice to meet you Amu. This won't be the last time I see you." In a swift motion, I watched him hop away. I was mesmerized, as I watched him. His rapid motions almost reminded me of a sly cat. Shaking it off quickly, I decided to go home. I clutched the lock in my palm. That was one of the weirdest conversations I have ever had. Who was this Ikuto? Why did I accept a gift from a stranger?

Sighing, I arrived at home. Ami was "singing" loudly, prompting me to escape to my room. I stared at the blank walls of my room, and smiled. Maybe this move wasn't so bad. Maybe I could meet more people at school tomorrow. I changed into my nightgown, and placed the lock on my night table that had apparently been set up for me. I went under my sheets and began to drift to sleep. For the first time since the thought of moving, the idea of living in Seiyo didn't seem as horrible and it was almost exhilarating. However, it wouldn't take me long to realize that living here would in fact change my life. Nothing would remain the same ever again, for good and bad. My name, Amu Hinamori, would mean so much more than just some klutzy, day-dreaming girl. I so was unprepared for what the future had in store for me.

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**There we have it; the first chapter. I promise, the second will be up extremely soon. I hope Amuto fans enjoyed the Amu and Ikuto meeting. I am not too experienced with Amuto, but I'm hoping to really work with that pairing. I'm not going to be one of those begging authors (just kidding, I will be), but please review/favorite/alert! Words cannot describe how happy I will be if I receive a whole lot of spam in my emails from this site saying I got reviews, favorites, and alerts! So, review review review, alert, and favorite! Thank you so much :D. More reviews = faster update. Yay! **


	2. First Day of School

**I've been really excited to write this chapter. In fact, I got so excited that I added many details, and the entire part I was super psyched to write will be saved for next chapter... Well, nonetheless, I'm pretty pleased with this chapter. Before I get started, I just wanted to wish my FFN friend Diamond Spirit a happy belated birthday (her birthday was yesterday), and this is her belated birthday present that's shared with everyone! Please enjoy this chapter (I own nothing, well actually that's not true, but I don't own Shugo Chara actual characters). **

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_All of the voices filled up the room, amplifying each other. Unlike the previous day, they were not uttering "help me."_

_ "Your time is coming," They whispered. "Soon. Soon." They kept repeating that one word, having it echo, and crescendo rapidly._

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I sat up immediately, sweat pouring down my face. Soon? What was soon? Did they no longer need help? It took me a few more minutes to realize my father was sitting at the edge of my bed, studying me. I gave him a small smile.

"Amu, are you okay?!" He wondered, concerned. "It took you so long to wake up! And look at you- you're sweating…"

"Huh? I-I'm alright." I backed up my reply with a smile. It wasn't exactly a lie, I didn't think.

"Good. Now, if you haven't remembered, it's your first day at Seiyo High School! You should get ready dear." He kissed the top of my head, and left. For a moment, I wondered why my alarm didn't just wake me up, only to realize I had not set it up. Sighing, I got up, and went to take a shower. As the warm water met my body, I thought more about the dream. It had changed from the previous dreams I had. I remembered what Nobuko Saeki warned on television yesterday, "The simplicity of your life is going to change." What did this mean? Was this related to the dreams, about my time coming? What did all of this even mean?

_No, it isn't real... _I thought, trying to reassure myself. Nothing was going to change, except that I was attending this new school. Nobuko's warning was simply a fortune, nothing more. These dreams were just dreams that were really peculiar. It was just a coincidence that these two things happened around the same time. I tried to encourage myself, but I was still skeptical.

Finally, I ended my shower, drying myself off. I brushed my teeth in the new sink, and then changed into an outfit. I stared at my suitcase full of clothes for what seemed like an eternity. It was the first day at a new school. I had to make a positive impression, but I didn't want to stand out more then I already was going to. Should I wear a dress? No, that was too formal… but what if the other students dressed up nicer for school? I lifted a pair of jeans. I did not know my schedule, so I had no idea if I had Gym today. If I did, I was still a new student; I wouldn't be forced to play… right? I still didn't know how formal most students were. Sighing, I decided to compromise by wearing a plaid green-and-black skirt with a pleated black top which hung below my shoulders. Yua had purchased me this shirt as my going away gift.

Sighing in remorse, I went down stairs, nearly tripping over the steps. I walked over to my father, who held the car keys.

"Amu, you should eat some breakfast," He suggested. I complied, eating a small piece of toast with jelly. Ami sat at the newly set up table, eating a bowl of cereal.

"Morning sissy!" Ami greeted, drinking the rest of the milk from her bowl. I gave her a small wave, as I lifted my school bag. I had one of those messenger bags that I wore on one shoulder. It contained all of the necessary notebooks and binders I would need along with pens and pencils.

"Once Ami is done, we will leave, and I will drop you girls at your schools," My father explained.

"I don't want to go to school!" Ami whined, slamming her spoon on the new table.

"Shh, you'll be okay darling," My father soothed, running his fingers through his daughter's hair. I rolled my eyes.

"Ami, can you hurry up? I don't want to be late," I muttered, anxiety kicking in. I could feel my legs shaking. Fortunately, no one else noticed. Ami whined loudly, standing up and carrying her backpack.

"I can't wait to take you girls to school!" My father smiled, leading us into the car. I climbed into the passenger's seat. He started the engine once Ami buckled her seatbelt in the back. I watched the sights of Seiyo pass by my window. Everything was still unfamiliar to me, although I had walked by it yesterday. We passed by the mall and the dance club. There, I remembered that guy Ikuto, and the way his eyes pierced through me. I could feel the warmness of his arms as they surrounded me when I tripped.

"Amu, we're here!" My father called. I snapped out of my trance, embarrassed that I was daydreaming about a boy that I had met for about five minutes.

"Bye sissy!" Ami yelled. I gave my father a quick smile, before getting out of the car. Once my father drove away, I exhaled deeply. This was it. I was starting my new school. My heart was beating uncontrollably. Each step I took closer to the high school, my nerves only augmented. I finally arrived right outside the door. Once I entered here, I would officially be inside my new school. I would be confined to these walls for almost seven hours daily. I gulped, before entering the school.

To my utter dismay, the school was massive, probably triple the size of my old high school. There were four floors. The hallways weren't so crowded, since they were extremely wide. Many students walked by me, heading to their lockers. I stood where I was, petrified. Fear ran through me, possessing me.

"So, you are the new student, correct?" I turned around, facing a man. His eyes twinkled as he watched me. He had brown hair that draped over one of his eyes. His smile was almost creepy.

"Uh…yeah…" I faltered. He continued that frightening smile which made me extremely self-conscious. I immediately brushed some of my pink hair out of my face.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, miss-"

"Hinamori. Amu Hinamori," I introduced.

"Ah, miss Hinamori. My name is Tsukasa Amakawa, and I am the principal." Shit. That was the principal. I knew that I didn't want to see him a lot, although I wasn't really the troublemaking type. "Follow me." I complied, following him to his office. I was shocked when I saw his office. Office wasn't the right word. It was more like a planetarium. The roof was literally made out of stars and resembled the night sky. There were tons of chairs, making it appear like a stadium. "Take a seat." I obliged, sitting toward the front.

"Um… nice office," I muttered. He beamed. I suddenly heard a gentle purr. I turned rapidly, seeing a cat in the corner. Wait, a cat?! My face must have reflected my state of shock, as Tsukasa laughed gently.

"Oh that's Yoru. He's a sweetie." Tsukasa patted his back. He had dark blue hair, matching the color of Ikuto's hair. I thought for a moment. So, my principal had a cat and his office was a planetarium?! I certainly knew that my experience at Seiyo High would be one to remember. Tsukasa walked over to a stack of papers, and pulled out a few.

"This, my dear, is your schedule. Attached is your locker number and combination. Fortunately, you have fifteen minutes before school commences, so you will have time to look around." I glanced at the schedule. I noticed first period I had Honors Global History. Well, that's a fun way to start the day. "I just have some papers that I need you to sign." He handed me some forms. I skimmed them, seeing that they were simply papers stating the code of conduct in the school and allowing me to use certain materials in the science lab. I jotted my name quickly on them, and handed them back to Tsukasa. "You may head to your locker now before going to your first period class. Good luck."

"Thank you," I muttered, starting toward the door.

"Oh, Miss Hinamori?" I turned quickly, nearly tripping on my foot. "I'm sure Seiyo High will be a marvelous experience for you. Though things may change drastically for you and it may seem stressful at times, you will survive. Never underestimate your powers." Involuntarily, I raised an eyebrow. "Have a good day!" I left after that, mulling everything over. This was the third source I had for saying everything would change and that I was unique. What did he mean by my _powers_? I soon began to wonder if he was merely talking about succeeding in school. Shrugging it off for now, I decided to head to my locker. It was located on the third floor, conveniently near my first period class. I found a staircase to lead me up two flights. I arrived on the third floor, and found locker 334. Unfortunately, it was on the bottom. I knelt on the floor, and attempted my combination. With my luck, it kept failing. I was able to get my locker at my old school easily; why was it so difficult now?!

"Do you need some help?" The voice sounded almost melodic. I glanced up, finding myself face to face with someone who was most likely the most popular girl in the grade. She had a kind smile, and was one of the prettiest girls I have ever seen. She had long purple hair that was tied back with a red ribbon. She wore a long-sleeved white top with a bright yellow scarf that matched her honey-golden eyes. She wore jeans with sandals.

"No, I'm fine, thank you." She smiled softly, watching me continuously struggle. I sighed in defeat.

"What's your combination? I promise, I won't steal from it." Something about her just seemed so trustworthy. I told her my combination, and she opened it with ease. "The trick is to turn it past the zero each time you need a new number. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it."

"Thank you…" I whispered, putting the books away that I wouldn't need until the afternoon. I closed my locker, turning back to her.

"So, you are that rumored new girl I presume?" I nodded slowly. The girl extended her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Nadeshiko Fujisaki. What is your name?"

"Amu Hinamori…" I muttered, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious due to her elegance. I must have seemed extremely sloppy. I soon became aware of her outreached hand. I took it, shaking her hand awkwardly.

"Amu, such a pretty name. It sounds quite similar to the French word amour, meaning love."

"Yeah, I take French," I told her, accidentally snapping.

"I'm sure someone like you will find love…" Her voice trailed off suddenly, as she studied me. I glanced back, watching suspiciously.

"Is there a problem?" I wondered.

"Your aura…"

"My what?!" Nadeshiko quickly smiled again.

"I mean, I can tell you're really kind; your aura, just an impression." I nodded slowly, still slightly confused.

"Oh…well, um, thanks, I guess…"

"Well, the bell's going to ring soon. If you need help, don't hesitate to come and find me. Do you know where your first period class is?" I nodded, motioning toward the room nearby. "Great. I will see you later, Hinamori-San." She walked away, her purple ponytail bouncing behind her. I watched her, appalled by her beauty. I was immediately envious. How could she be so gorgeous?! I knew that guys probably drooled over her. She was probably the captain of the cheerleading or kick-line team. I doubted that I would befriend her.

The bell suddenly rang, interrupting my thoughts. Startled, I walked over to the first class I would be attending at Seiyo. I peered in, watching the teacher move forward. I noticed that there was a board in the corner, reading the homework assignment for the day. We were required to read six pages in the textbook, which I had yet to acquire, and make an outline on it. Six pages?! The textbook I had for History at my old high school was absolutely horrible, so I sure hoped it wasn't the same one.

"Is there a problem?" Suddenly, I realized the entire class was staring at me. My cheeks flushed, realizing I was still standing awkwardly outside of the classroom.

"Y-Yeah, is this Global History with Mrs. Scarow?" I wondered nervously.

"Actually, it's Ms. Scarow, but yes, that's me. You're the new student?" I nodded slowly. She gestured toward me, wanting me to enter. I gulped as my feet entered the classroom. I faced the class, marveling at the size. This class had to have at least thirty kids! My old high school had barely even fifteen per class…

"So, you're… Amu Hinamori?" I nodded again. "Students, focus on the Do Now and copy the homework." They complied, completing the lengthy Do Now written on the board regarding China. I had just finished the China Unit…

"Here is your textbook, and we are currently learning about China. Where did you leave off?" The textbook happened to be the same one that I used at my old school.

"I just finished the China unit…" I explained what I have learned this year.

"Excellent. It seems you are slightly ahead. This should be an easy transition for you." Finally, someone who isn't stressing the importance of me going through a major change! "Now, I would like you to take a seat over there." She motioned toward a seat beside a girl. Her hair was reddish pink and was tied into a braid over her shoulder. She wore lots of mascara. As I started walking toward her, my foot accidentally got caught on one of the desks, and I fell face first to the ground.

Time seemed to freeze for me. This shouldn't be happening! I had to make a good impression, and my klutziness decided to take over and ruin that. Oh no… I already ruined all chances I had at a lasting reputation. Well, that's not true. I had a lasting reputation, but it would not be a positive one…

"Are you okay?" A girl whispered, her glasses sparkling in the light slightly. I nodded, standing up slowly, and taking my seat. As the teacher began instructing her lesson, the girl who sat beside me turned to me.

"So, you're the new girl? Where are you from?" I opened my mouth to speak, but she quickly interjected. "I'm Saaya Yamabuki. I'm sure you'll be hearing about me a lot." I closed my mouth, raising an eyebrow. If I could think of one word to describe her based on impression, it was arrogant. I could already tell that she was completely self-centered and didn't really care about anyone else. She turned her head back to the lesson. The amount of make-up she wore was disgusting. Sighing, I focused back on the lesson, although I had learned this material before.

After forty minutes, the bell rang, and students jolted out of the room. I grabbed my History binder, and slowly exited the room, joining the crowd of students. I pulled out my schedule, curious to what I had next. I sighed in annoyance, seeing it was Gym. I was not dressed at all for that class. However, that was not my concern at the moment. Where _was_ the gym?

"E-Excuse me?" I called into the hallway. No one looked at me twice, focusing on their schedules. I stood in the middle of the hall, completely puzzled. I tried to look for a map, but unfortunately, the school didn't have one.

"Hey, you're the new girl from History, correct?" I turned, facing the girl who had previously asked if I was okay after I tripped. I nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I'm actually kind of lost…" She smiled, looking at my schedule.

"Oh, you have Gym next! It's on the first floor. You can't miss it." I smiled, thanking her, and headed downstairs to go to gym.

I entered the Gym, my eyes widening at the size of that as well. It was at least quadruple the size of my old one.

"Are you Amu Hinamori?" I looked at the man speaking, presumably the Gym Teacher. I nodded. He introduced himself as Coach Linus, my teacher, and explained policies about gym. He assigned me my gym locker as well. "Well, you won't be able to play today, so I'll have someone give you a tour around the school. Hotori!" When I turned to face the boy Coach Linus called over, my eyes widened. He was the cutest boy I have ever seen. He had golden blonde hair, falling nearly over his eyes similarly to Tsukasa. He had ruby eyes that glistened with the light. He wore a nice long-sleeved shirt with formal slacks. My face must have matched the color of his eyes at this point.

"What is it, sensei?" His voice was beautiful.

"Could you show this girl around the school this period? She's new." He turned to me, and formed the most handsome smile I have ever seen. My insides felt numb.

"Of course." He lifted his school bag, and led me outside of the gym. "Hello, my name is Tadase Hotori, and I am in the tenth grade. How about you?" Tadase was a beautiful name. I nearly forgot how to speak.

"I-I'm Amu…Hinamori. G-Grade ten also…" I stammered.

"Nice to meet you Hinamori-San," Tadase told me, extending his hand. I did the same, and shook his hand. I was touching him! Oh god, if my dad knew how I was reacting to this boy…

"Well, we have forty minutes to look around, and I highly doubt you want to return to Gym anytime soon, so we might as well utilize the whole time. Come with me." I followed Tadase. "This is the lunch room. You are allowed to leave campus for lunch, but if you don't want to, you can remain here." I was hardly focusing on the tour and simply watching him. I knew I should have been more attentive, but he was too attractive. He pointed out the auditorium, and explained what floor each subject was on.

"Did you get all of that? You haven't said anything… Heh, was I speaking too fast?"

"No, you are perfect…_were _perfect," I reassured him, correcting myself. He beamed."Yup, I got it, I won't get lost anymore."

"Oh, could I see your schedule? We may have more classes other than Gym together." I handed him my schedule. He studied it for a moment, and then smiled back up at me. "Well, it seems we have Health together which rotates every other day with Gym. We also have Lunch, Math, English, and French together. I'm sure we'll get to know each other for the rest of the year." I nodded, pleased that I would have many classes with Tadase. The bell rang, signaling for the next class and the termination of my time with him.

For the next few periods, teachers caught me up and I received so many textbooks that my shoulder felt like it was going to fall off. Fortunately, I was not too behind in learning anything. Not only did I have some classes with Tadase, I even had some with that preppy Nadeshiko and the obnoxious Saaya. In Math, which I had with all three of them, when we had some extra time left, I noticed Saaya walk over to Tadase. It seemed many of the girls were attracted to him like a magnet. Many guys happened to drift over to Nadeshiko, who sat beside Tadase. I wondered if they were dating. They both seemed insanely popular, so it was probable. I slumped on my desk, sighing. It was obvious that someone as charming and prince-like like Tadase wouldn't be free. Stupid Nadeshiko.

Suddenly, I heard a weird noise, sounding almost like an animal. I turned around, wondering if anyone else heard it. They were too involved with getting ahead in the Math homework or flirting with Nadeshiko or Tadase to notice. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Nadeshiko and Tadase exchange a glance. How cute.

Finally, the bell rang. I lifted my bag, and I was the first to exit the room. I sighed, heading to my locker to retrieve my lunch my father generously made and store my textbooks and binders. I closed my locker, and went to the lunch room I remembered Tadase pointed out. I walked in, staring at all of the full tables. Of course, I had not made any new friends. Sighing, I found a small table in the back no one sat in, and took my seat all alone. I ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich quickly, longing for some friends. Why did I have to move? This school was too large and complicated. I missed having my friends; Yua, Takumi, and Deidre. Yes, there was a cute boy here, but there was a zero percent chance he was single. I didn't even care about dating anyway; I just wanted to go to my real home.

"Amu, right?" I looked up, noticing a girl. She smiled warmly at me. "Would you like to sit with us?" I nodded slowly, thanking her. She guided me toward a group of girls. They all smiled, and motioned toward a seat I could take.

"Hello, we've had many classes together already. My name is Wakana Rosen." I recognized her as the girl with glasses who had already expressed kindness toward me when I initially tripped. She had blue hair that hung on her shoulders.

"Hi, I'm Manami Keratin, nice to meet you Hinamori-San!" She smiled, her brown buns bopping up and down.

"My name is Hitomi Lee. I know what it's like to move, since I moved here in the seventh grade, but you'll fit in soon, I promise." Hitomi had bright orange hair that extended past her shoulders.

"And my name is Anya Forrest! I'm in your Chemistry class." Anya had short curly brown hair. I nodded slowly at the girls. They all seemed really nice. After introducing themselves, Anya cracked some joke I didn't get, and the girls burst into laughter. I tried to smile along, but I knew that I was an outsider.

"Hey Amu, have you met Tadase-Kun yet?" Manami asked. All four of them swooned. Tadase must have been universally popular…

"Yeah, I have many classes with him," I admitted.

"Oh, isn't he a charmer? Ugh, he's like right out of a fairy book!" Hitomi exclaimed.

"As much as I want him for myself, he's awfully cute with Nadeshiko-San…" Anya pointed out, sighing.

"They're dating?" I wondered, not surprised.

"Well, no one really knows for sure, but probably," Wakana explained. "I mean, they both are so popular and apart of the guardians."

"What are the guardians?" I asked.

"They're basically the student council, claiming to be the 'guardians of the school," Anya explained.

"Wow, I wonder what it's like to be popular and have _everyone_ know you…" Manami swooned. Again, I heard the weird animal noise. It sounded closer than before. What was that?

"I-I'll be right back," I announced, standing up. I left my bag at the table, as I hurried outside. As I got closer to the door leading outside, the noise sounded nearby. I stepped outside, noticing a bunch of people have picnics, despite it being cold outside. I walked out a bit farther.

Again, I heard the animal sound. I whipped my head around, searching desperately for the source of the sound. I was unsuccessful. Puzzled, I walked forward, stepping into an area full of grass. There were no other students around.

_Maybe I was imagining things…_ I thought to myself, conceding. _It's just first day anxiety._ Suddenly, something sprung onto me. I screamed, completely stunned. I attempted to shake it off of me. When I rapidly turned around, I saw a beast-like creature staring at me. It had bright yellow eyes. Without a moment to spare, it jumped on me. I slammed my eyes tight.

"Protect her!" When I opened my eyes, I noticed a bright yellow substance surrounding me. Whatever it was, it blocked the creature from hitting at me. It kept hitting on the substance, but each time, was knocked backward. My heart was beating rapidly.

"Are you okay?" The voice sounded familiar. I turned, facing Tadase, Nadeshiko, and an unfamiliar guy.

"W-What's going on?!" I wondered, my voice squeaking slightly.

"God, she must be so confused…" The guy I didn't know laughed slightly. Nadeshiko turned to the creature. She pulled a gun out of her pocket. Nadeshiko has a gun?! The creature faced her, baring its fangs.

"Tadase, a dazing spell!" Nadeshiko called. Spell?! Tadase whispered something under his breath, and the creature suddenly remained still.

"Nade, you want to handle the rest, or shall I?" The guy wondered.

"I'll handle it," Nadeshiko announced, pulling the trigger of the gun. I flinched as the bullet sounded, but it surprisingly wasn't too loud. The beast laid on the ground, a weird green substance searing out of it.

"W-What's the green?" I wondered, pointing at it.

"Well, the grass could be green, my school bag could be green…"

"Kukai!" Nadeshiko shot him a look. The guy, Kukai apparently, grinned sheepishly. He was attractive as well, but in a different way than Tadase. He had auburn hair that spiked up. He wore a soccer jacket and casual jeans. He seemed out of place with the other two, since he wasn't quite as formal.

"It's a demon, and the green is its blood," Nadeshiko explained, turning to me. She smiled. I stared at her, completely puzzled.

"A…what?!"

"Demon. You know, I'm sure you've read about them in fantasy books, except that this demon is real," Kukai explained. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. I remembered Nobuko's fortune from last night, how I would see demons and monsters. Oh my god, was she actually right?! My heart began beating rapidly. Maybe all of these warnings were true… My life would change…

"Hinamori-San, are you alright? You look awfully pale," Tadase wondered.

"Tadase, she just saw her first demon," Nadeshiko pointed out. "She's new to Seiyo, and she doesn't know anything…"

"Can…you explain?" I wondered.

"We will," Nadeshiko promised, smiling warmly. "After school, meet us in the Royal Garden." I stared at her in confusion. Nadeshiko chuckled lightly, pointing at an extravagant gazebo-like building. "That's the Royal Garden. We will explain everything there." She turned to the creature.

"How are we going to carry it?" Tadase wondered.

"Damn, why do they have to have that stupid rule about freshmen staying on campus for lunch? A freezing spell would have come in handy, and you don't handle that kind of magic Tadase," Kukai murmured.

"I could do a levitating spell," Tadase offered, making the creature float. He carried it toward the Royal Garden, and put it somewhere. I watched the three of them, completely perplexed. Kukai looked at me, and grinned.

"Well new girl, you've got a lot to learn. For now, my name is Kukai Souma, and I'm a grade older than you." He patted my head. "You are…?"

"Amu Hinamori," I muttered, pleased I actually knew something.

"Guys, we better head back inside; the bell is going to ring soon," Nadeshiko announced.

"Nerd!" Kukai called. Nadeshiko rolled her eyes at him. She turned me.

"Hinamori-San, you mentioned you take French this morning, correct?" I nodded. "Great, well, since there is only one French class, you can come with Tadase and me." I followed Nadeshiko and Tadase inside, got my bag from the cafeteria, and left with them to the French room, while Kukai went to his own class.

It was hard to focus for the rest of the school day. Thoughts about the demon distracted me. How was that even possible? Could Nobuko's fortune be completely right? What did that mean about me? What about Nadeshiko, Tadase, and Kukai? What were they?

Finally, the school day ended. I had officially finished my first day at Seiyo High School, and I can safely say that it was one of the weirdest days I had ever had in my entire life. I texted my father that I would be staying slightly later. I got all of my books from my lockers, the weight on my shoulders becoming unbearable. I had five textbooks from my five major classes, along with five binders and other supplies I had for Art. I left the school grounds, carrying, what seemed like the weight of the world, on my shoulders. The distance to the Royal Garden seemed like miles.

"Hey, are you that Amu Hinamori everyone's talking about?" Before I could blink, a girl with pigtails was standing in front of me, grinning immensely.

"_Everyone's_ talking about me?!" I exclaimed, horrified.

"Mhm! Yaya has heard your name everywhere…" The girl observed.

"Yaya has? I'm sort of new as you probably heard, so I don't know what a Yaya is…" The girl burst out in hysterical laughter. There seemed to be something I was missing, but I didn't know what.

"Hinamori-San, I'm glad to see you decided to come." Nadeshiko walked over to us, smiling at me. "Tadase and Kukai are probably already there." She noticed the heavy bag. "Oh, do you need some help?"

"N-No, it is okay, thanks though." Before I could protest, Nadeshiko took my bag from me. It was a colossal relief.

"So, let's go." I nodded, following Nadeshiko. The girl followed along as well.

"Nade-Tan!~ Yaya wants candy!" The girl whined. "Yaya's feeling cotton candy today…" I was still really confused as to what this Yaya was. Nadeshiko rolled her eyes.

"So… what is Yaya?" I asked, turning to Nadeshiko. She turned to me, slightly confused.

"What? Well, that's Yaya…" Yaya grinned.

"Yaya Yuiki, at your service!" I raised an eyebrow.

"But then why-" Nadeshiko smiled slightly, chuckling softly.

"Yaya likes to talk in the third person," Nadeshiko explained. "Whenever she says Yaya, she means I." I raised an eyebrow. Strangely enough, that was not even close to the weirdest thing that happened today… And more was to come.

When I entered the so-called Royal Garden, I was awed by the size. It was beautiful, and the walls were made out of glass. There was a fountain in the middle, with a multitude of plants growing around it. At the back of the Royal Garden was a table with five chairs surrounding. Tadase and Kukai sat at two of them. Yaya dragged my hand, leading me over to the table. Nadeshiko politely took her seat beside Tadase, smiling gently at him. I rolled my eyes. I knew they had to be dating. Yaya let go of me, and walked over to Kukai. They grinned at each other, and performed some weird handshake.

"Hinamori-San, please take a seat," Nadeshiko instructed. I complied, sitting down slowly. I felt so out of place with them, although the presence of Kukai and Yaya made it seem less formal. All four of them exchanged glances, though they all turned to Tadase. He sighed, turning to me. His beautiful ruby eyes watched me, smiling on their own. I could feel my heart churn.

"Welcome to the Royal Garden," Tadase greeted. "Hinamori-San, we have a lot to tell you. I apologize for the timing. I know you must be dealing with a lot of stress, since you just moved here, and I know telling you this will not help at all, but it is important, especially given what you might be…"

"What I might be?" I inquired.

"You think she's the one?" Kukai wondered, clearly taken aback.

"Her aura is exceptional," Nadeshiko explained. "I've never seen that kind of reading on anyone, even on you three."

"YAY! That means Amu-Chi could be our best friend!" Yaya jumped up and down.

"…What?" I was so perplexed, as I had been since lunch.

"Hinamori-San, there is this prophecy that we believe speaks of you, actually."

* * *

**If you are one of the readers of this story that also reads my story X-Virus/Umbrageous Universe, you are well-aware of the fact I love to put cliffhangers. For those that don't, I tend to include cruel cliffhangers, and this one actually was not too cruel. However, since I am ecstatic for the next chapter, I have already begun writing it. Well, I wanted to have two notes about the story. 1) I know there are a lack in certain main characters from the actual anime. Anyone who I haven't either introduced or referenced in the first two chapters that is really important, basically two major characters, will come in, but not for a while. 2) I'm not going to drop spoilers or say anymore than this, but all I will say is that certain secrets regarding some characters, though altered slightly in this story, will remain the same. Anyway, please review/alert/favorite, and I promise that the next update will be really soon!**


	3. The Prophecy

"_Hinamori-San, there is this prophecy that we believe speaks of you, actually."_

I stared at Tadase, dumbfounded. A prophecy? I had read about them in books, particularly fantasy novels, but never in real life. Prophecies were simply mythological. Then again, so were demons, and the fact that I saw and felt the beast-like demon on me proved it had to be real. So, prophecies weren't much of a stretch…

"What…is this prophecy?" I asked.

"Here, we have it written down." Nadeshiko fumbled through many papers, eventually lifting one with specific writing. "One girl who travels from afar will be the one to join two realities that should never intersect. She will have immense power that cannot be fathomed or controlled. She is the fate of the world, the one who can either protect it or destroy it."

"So… that's me?!" I exclaimed, horrified. I remembered Nobuko Saeki and Tsukasa's warnings about my powers. What did this mean about me? Do I have some sort of unnatural power?

"We do not know for sure," Tadase explained. "However, Nadeshiko can feel your aura, and it's quite powerful." I remembered her talking about my aura when we first met. Seeing my confusion, Nadeshiko smiled.

"Basically, an aura is your overall power and essence. I have the ability to read the aura of people, and see their potential and power. Your aura is exceptionally powerful, Hinamori-San. I have never seen anything on its level." I nodded slowly.

"You have an aura reading ability? You mean like, you have subhuman abilities…like me apparently?"

"More or less. I guess you can think of it that way, though compared to the other three here, I'm pretty useless…"

"That's not true Nade!" Kukai exclaimed, patting her head. "You're our weapons specialist. It isn't an ability, but you know a ton about weapons and without you, we'd be lost. Besides, I don't have a superpower exactly…" Nadeshiko gave her friend a smile. I thought for a moment. So many questions ran through my mind, yet it was difficult for me to open my mouth to speak.

"Um, how would I destroy the world?" I asked.

"We do not really know," Tadase admitted. "We don't even really know what powers you are capable of. We just know that, whatever it is, it's quite powerful…"

"But, it might not be me, right? This could just be a mix-up, right? I-I mean, I-I'm just a normal girl! I can't possibly…" I began to panic.

"Normal people are lame!" Yaya pointed out. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I know it's a lot to deal with," Nadeshiko reassured, placing a hand on my shoulder. I glanced up at her touch. She gave me a warm smile. "You have a lot to learn about yourself, and all of this, but I know you'll get through it. Trust me." Trust her? I barely even knew her! Earlier this morning, I thought Nadeshiko was some stuck-up cheerleader, but now it seemed I was vastly mistaken.

"We should move onto the demons." Tadase stood up from his seat, and walked over to a computer. He typed something in, prompting a hole to appear in the ground, with a staircase leading under the Royal Garden. I gasped, covering my mouth. "Here, follow me." I nodded, standing up. The other three followed as well. As we descended the steps, I found myself only a bit behind Tadase. My hand swung forward, accidentally bumping into his. My cheeks flushed, noticing the slight contact.

"Oh, um, I-I'm sorry," I apologized quickly.

"No problem." He smiled.

When we arrived downstairs, I was shocked to see many demons contained in cages, most of which appeared dead. There were an abundance of types of them, ranging from the beast that attacked me to even human-like demons.

"This is what you do? Kill demons?" I asked.

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Kukai told me. "We don't know exactly how yet, but it seems they all are possessed by some mysterious force. They're evil, so we do what we must. That's why we take them here, so we can study them!"

"Are all demons…evil?"

"No, they aren't," Nadeshiko explained. "All of these demons and other creatures we fight, like Kukai said, seem to come from one source."

"How do you fight them?" I asked.

"Geez, you have lots of questions." Kukai laughed.

"It's only natural," Nadeshiko pointed out.

"All of us fight differently. As we explained before, Nadeshiko is our weapons specialist, so she usually strikes with different weapons. Her ability to read auras also comes in handy to determine how powerful the demon is," Tadase explained. Nadeshiko beamed.

"W-What's your power Tadase-Kun?" I asked shyly. He turned to me, and immediately, my insides swelled.

"It's not really a power, but I'm a witch," Tadase stated. "Oh, and before you get the stereotype most people get, witches can be used for either sex. Here, I'll show you a spell." He whispered something under his breath, and a small flower appeared out of thin air. He floated it over to me, and it fell into my palm. I gave him a shy smile.

"Yaya's a mage!" Yaya announced.

"What's the difference between a mage and a witch?" I asked.

"Both use magic, but unlike witches, mages like Yaya use black magic, not to get mixed up with dark magic. Black magic is basically the elements, you know, fire, ice, thunder, all of that fun stuff!"

"If you were wondering, dark magic is magic that alters the balance of the earth," Tadase explained. "It is completely illegal according to magic law." Magic law? I decided not to question any further. I turned to Kukai, curious to what his specialty was. Noticing my eyes on him, he smiled, and proceeded to explain himself.

"I don't use any magical forces like Yaya or Tadase. You can call me a rogue. I tend to do rapid attacks on the demons. I'm quite resourceful too." He grinned. "Well, that's us! The true mystery now is you, Miss Hinamori Amu." He sounded almost flirtatious. I sighed, wondering the same thing. What was I? Something then occurred to me. How did Nobuko Saeki know through a television screen? How did Tsukasa know? Even that weird guy I met, Ikuto, seemed to sense something uncanny about me. And what about my dreams?

"Last night, I was watching TV, and I happened to catch one of those ridiculous fortune-telling channels by Nobuko Saeki. At the time, I thought that it was merely a coincidence that she spoke of a girl moving and happened to use my zodiac sign, but now that I think back, she mentioned something about demons," I remembered.

"Oh, Nobuko-San is quite a gifted oracle," Tadase pointed out. "She can foresee many events of the future to a certain extent. I presume you met our principal, Tsukasa?" I nodded. "He's an oracle as well."

"God, that guy is so creepy." Kukai shuddered. "Glad his creepiness doesn't run in the family." He gestured toward Tadase. I turned to face him, immediately seeing the resemblance. I had noticed it with their hair previously, but it was so much more. There was something in their face that seemed so similar to each other.

"It must be so weird to have the principal as your uncle," Yaya mused.

"Yeah, it is… Anyway, do you have any more questions Hinamori-San?" Each time he addressed me, my heart seemed to flutter.

"Each night, I have these dreams. These voices scream out to me, usually uttering help me. The dream I had before I woke up today kept repeating the word soon. Do you know what this means?" The other four exchanged glances.

"Well, it's most likely connected to everything," Nadeshiko inferred. "Perhaps it might be wise to keep track of these dreams, like maybe in a dream journal or something."

"Yaya used to keep one!" Yaya reminisced. I nodded slowly. I knew it would take me a long time to fathom everything. Everything I knew, rather, everything I thought was not real was indeed real. Demons should have just been a part of a fantasy novel; they should not exist. They didn't exist yesterday.

"I… I better get going…" I walked back toward the stairs, walking up. The others followed me.

"Hinamori-San, we know this is a lot of you to take in," Tadase tried to comfort. "However, it would be beneficial for us, and you, to remain in constant contact with us. That's why I am going propose the idea of joining the guardians." I remembered the four girls I sat with at lunch talking about the guardians. They were the student council that "guarded" the school. However, guarding the school really was accurate here. They protected the school from demons and whatever else was out there.

"I'm sure you've heard about us from other students, but there's much more we do that they don't know. What the majority of people know is that we are their student council, and we help fundraise and all that crap. However, we also hunt demons and other creatures, as previously explained," Kukai explained. "Since we don't really know your special ability yet, you would help us out in the background and be more active in the school-related activities. You in?" I was in a daze. It was my first day of school, and I was already invited to join the student council, on top of all the supernatural stuff?!

"I… I need to think…alone…" I slowly backed toward the door. "I-I, um, thanks…" Kukai opened his mouth to say something, but Nadeshiko quickly covered it, shooting him a dirty look. I quickly turned around, and headed out of the Royal Garden.

It didn't take me too long to walk home. When I arrived there, I was not surprised to already see Ami there, blabbering to my parents about her great day. Upon entering the house, I was greeted with their stares.

"Amu darling! How was your first day?" My father ruffled my hair. I did not know how to reply to that question. There was no way that I could fully tell the truth. How could I explain my peculiar dreams, the presence of demons, and the fact that some new peers of mine are witches or mages or rogues or have the ability to read auras?!

"Interesting," I muttered, using the first word that came to mind.

"Ami was just telling us about her day. Would you care to listen?" I turned to my little sister. She grinned, before blabbering about how her classmates adored her and listened to her singing concert, which prompted her to reenact that.

"Actually, I have some work I need to do. Bye!" I lied, quickly escaping that scene, and heading to my room. The truth was, the teachers wanted me to settle in a week before assigning me work. The vacancy of my room only reminded me how everything was so different. My room used to be overcrowded and super messy. Now, it was just completely different. I sank to my knees, my legs hitting the hard wood floor. Tears involuntarily formed in my eyes, and before I could stop myself, I was crying heavily. Why me? Why was I more than likely the one spoken about in some prophecy? It wasn't fair!

"I wish I didn't move…" I murmured to no one. Not to my surprise, nothing changed. I knew it wouldn't. It's not like I could magically just go back to how it was. On the contrary, magic actually was real apparently, and if all of this was real, then it wasn't too farfetched. However, what if it broke the "magical law" or the "balance of the world"? Feeling like I was getting a headache, I went to the bathroom to swallow an Advil pill, using water to help. In the bathroom, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I was just Amu Hinamori yesterday, just some klutzy girl whose biggest fear was surviving school. Now? I had not the faintest clue what I was.

Sighing, I decided to return to my room, and unpack some stuff. I placed all of the clothing in my dresser, each article of clothing occupying a different drawer. I set up other furniture as well. Eventually, I got tired, so I changed into pajamas, and collapsed onto my bed. All of this nonsense about demons, witches, and prophecies all seemed irrelevant compared to sleeping.

* * *

_Help me._

_ Help me._

_ Help me._

* * *

"BIG SISSY GET UP!" I nearly screamed when I saw Ami looking over me. She looked completely fumed. I rubbed my eyes, focusing on the world. I yawned loudly. So, another "help me" dream? I remembered Nadeshiko's suggestion regarding the dream journal, but ignored it.

"What?" I mumbled, not wanting to get up.

"I'm going to be late to school! Get up already!" I turned to my clock, seeing it only read seven twenty.

"Ami, we have forty minutes until school starts. Geez, what happened to you hating school?"

"That was before I met the coolest kids!" Ami smiled quickly, before frowning back at me. She looked just like her mother with the frown and the scolding. "Now, up."

"You aren't the boss of me; that's my job," I muttered, though I complied. I went into the shower, and did everything else involved in my daily routine. I changed into jeans and a long-sleeved black-and-white striped shirt, before stepping downstairs. I ate a quick breakfast, before having my dad drive me to Seiyo.

As I walked toward the school with a sense of where I was going, a sense of reluctance passed through me. Last time I was here, I learned everything in my life was different. I didn't know what it meant, and I was scared to find out the meaning of the prophecy. Sighing, I made my way to my locker, and got my necessary books.

"Hinamori, correct?" I glanced up, facing that girl I met the previous day, Saaya. She stood beside me, her hand on her hip. A few girls stood behind her.

"What?" I wondered, not really wanting to deal with her.

"We saw you go into the Royal Garden yesterday, with _Tadase_. Is this true?" I remembered how she spent time flirting with him yesterday in Math class.

"What of it?" I wondered, feeling slightly nervous. I didn't already want to acquire a bully already!

"Why would a new girl like you find yourself in a place like that? What makes you feel so entitled to go hang out with him? He's mine, bitch!" I was taken aback by her words.

"Leave her alone." I turned, facing Nadeshiko. She stood beside me, frowning at Saaya and her cronies. The group of girls looked at each other, uttering a quick apology to Nadeshiko as they scurried away. I smiled softly at Nadeshiko.

"Do you always have that effect on people?" I asked. "They seem scared of you." Nadeshiko chuckled slightly.

"I guess my status as a guardian drives them away. You could be the same way too, you know." She winked at me. I had nearly forgotten about their offer to join the guardians.

"I…" The first bell rang at that moment, signaling for students to begin heading to their classes. Nadeshiko gave me a smile before turning to go to her class, her purple hair flipping behind her. I went into my Social Studies class. I noticed Saaya glaring at me as I walked in. I rolled my eyes, and took my appropriate seat beside her.

The morning went by quickly, before lunch came. I brought my lunch into the cafeteria as I did yesterday, and took my seat beside the four girls. They all smiled brightly.

"You know, there are rumors going around about you," Anya told me. Uh-oh! I didn't want rumors already.

"What type of rumors?" I wondered.

"Nothing awful really," Hitomi reassured. "They say that you went to the Royal Garden with Tadase-Kun and the other guardians."

"Well, they wanted to give me a tour, that's all," I muttered, lying.

"Wow! That's so awesome!" Manami exclaimed.

"You know Hinamori-San, I think it's really great how you don't let what Saaya says to you get to you," Wakana pointed out. "You're pretty cool." I felt flustered. I was most certainly not cool!

"And spicy," Manami added. "I mean, the way you simply shrugged it off and rolled your eyes took some guts. You're so cool and spicy!"

"But don't those two things sort of counteract each other?" Anya wondered. "I mean, typically things that are spicy are hot in temperature, not cool, and…" Suddenly, the entire cafeteria fell silent. I looked around, only to notice Tadase, Nadeshiko, and Kukai walk inside. Suddenly, I knew exactly who they were looking for. Embarrassed, I tried to shrivel myself and make myself less noticeable. I ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich quickly.

"Ah, there she is!" Only to make matters worse, Kukai pointed at me, prompting all eyes in the cafeteria to face me. As the three of them drew nearer to me, there were whispers all around me. People continued to stare at me, flabbergasted. The four girls that sat with me giggled slightly, alert to Tadase's close presence.

"Hinamori-San, we were wondering if you wanted to sit with us," Nadeshiko asked kindly. She glanced around at the cafeteria, people quickly going back to their conversations and lunch.

"Uh…Uh…I…" Gradually, I threw out the plastic bag that contained my already eaten lunch, and grabbed my school bag. I waved to the four girls, who watched me in utter awe. I followed the three of them out of the cafeteria. I wondered what new rumors would sprout about me now. Surely, Saaya wouldn't be too content with this.

"We usually like to have picnics on Wednesdays," Tadase told me, guiding me over to their set up blanket. They sat down on the grass, and continued eating their food.

"Where's Yaya?" I asked.

"Freshmen are not allowed to leave the campus for lunch unfortunately," Kukai explained. "It sucks not being able to eat with her."

"Well, she would probably just drag us to every candy store possible," Nadeshiko pointed out. "Her obsession with candy is crazy."

"Yeah, it sure is," Tadase agreed, laughing. Nadeshiko smiled, chuckling lightly as well.

"Are you two dating?" I blurted, surprising myself. I covered my mouth quickly, embarrassed. The two of them exchanged glances, before turning back to me. Nadeshiko bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"No… Tadase and I are solely just friends, nothing ever more. The thought of that… no offense Tadase, but I would never look at you as a romance. You're like family." Nadeshiko sighed. "Is that rumor going around?"

"Yeah, it's quite common from what I've gathered," I admitted.

"Oh geez. People sure love to gossip," Tadase muttered. "I could never date Nadeshiko; like she said, she's like my sister and _most_ people don't fall for siblings." His eyes seemed to darken slightly, though I didn't know why.

"Well, anyway, we are all like a family!" Kukai changed the topic rather quickly. "Though a family could seem exclusive, we accept people with open arms. I have plenty of non-guardian friends. Being a guardian doesn't mean you have to remain isolated from others. You'd love the guardians, Hinamori. We have brownies!" Tadase and Nadeshiko stared at Kukai skeptically. "What? People are always convinced by sweets…"

"I don't think Hinamori-San is that much like Yaya," Nadeshiko murmured. Kukai pouted.

"I…I don't know…" I shifted uncomfortably.

"There's no pressure Hinamori-San. We cannot force you to join. However, we would really appreciate it if you did. You would be a great addition to the guardians," Tadase told me, smiling cutely. I could not stand how cute he was. That alone tempted me. Being a part of the student council never sounded appealing to me. Fighting demons and monsters sounded even less appealing. Besides, this was my second day attending Seiyo. I wasn't sure if I was ready to deal with all of this. A part of me wondered if I was even good enough for them. Their presence alone was enough to silence the entire cafeteria. They were clearly perceived as superior figures. It was obvious that I did not fit in. They all had their own jokes and they were a family. I would have to be extremely arrogant to infringe on that.

"I don't think I should…will… I-I'm sorry…" All three of them looked hurt. Awkwardly, I pulled my bag closer to me.

"It's your decision. However, if you change your mind, feel free to come back," Tadase told me, the brightness in his expression slightly dimmer.

Since the bell was about to ring, the four of us went back inside. I followed Nadeshiko and Tadase to the French room, though there was silence between us. However, I noticed the two of them constantly exchanging glances. Involuntarily, I felt relieved that they weren't dating. Tadase didn't mention having a girlfriend. That being said, I knew that I stood no shot in getting him. I hardly knew him! However, he did think of me as someone higher, since he wanted me to join the guardians. That could have been my perfect opportunity to get close to him, and I blew it!

For the rest of the school day, I kept noticing Tadase and Nadeshiko watching me in the classes I shared with them. They were probably mad at me for declining their offer. However, none of their stares expressed any anger. Anytime I caught them watching me, they quickly smiled back. Not only them, but other students kept glancing at me as well, clearly curious as to my relations with the guardians.

After school ended, I went to my locker to retrieve some books. I didn't have to do the homework assigned, but the teachers suggested that I should read through the assignment and make sure I understood. Once I turned around, I saw Nadeshiko smiling down on me. I nearly screamed, shutting my locker quickly.

"Hey Hinamori-San. Have a great day! See you tomorrow."

"Uh…thanks!" I uttered a small smile, before walking away awkwardly. Nadeshiko seemed really nice. Sighing, I decided to walk home. This time, it was only my mother and me home, since my father was picking up Ami.

"How was the second day?" My mother asked, reading the newspaper and sipping tea.

"It went fine," I told her. I never was really the type to talk much about my day, so there was no need to talk about the guardians and their desire for me to join them. A few seconds later, Ami ran into the house, and began to blabber on about her day without being asked.

After eating dinner a few hours later, I decided to retreat to my room. I put my pajamas on, and stepped out on the balcony. I rested my arms on the ledge, and sighed. From my room, I had a pretty good view of the city. I could see many cars drive by and the light penetrating from the windows of buildings. Seiyo should have been just a normal city. However, it clearly wasn't. How could any city be normal if they have demons?

"Amu Hinamori, correct?" I turned, nearly screaming. I recognized Ikuto almost immediately. He stood beside me, his hands stuffed in his hoodie pockets.

"W-What are you doing here?!" I exclaimed. How did this creep get on my balcony?!

"I don't live too far away. I happened to be taking an evening stroll, when I spotted you looking from your balcony." He shrugged. "Figured I might stop by."

"You do realize we only met for like five seconds," I muttered.

"Well, why don't we get to know each other better?" He stepped closer to me. "So, Amu, you just moved here? I presume you attend Seiyo High?" It seemed odd that he immediately referred to me so casually. I nodded slowly. "Hm, that school is certainly one of a kind."

"You go there too?" I wondered, surprised.

"No, not anymore. I graduated," He told me.

"You're a college student?" He glanced at the ground, shaking his head.

"What grade are you in?" Ikuto asked, quickly changing the subject. His eyes met mine once again.

"I'm in tenth," I told him. He seemed to smirk slightly.

"So, you're his age? I'm sure he got to you too. After all, you could be the one." Once Ikuto spoke, I knew exactly what he meant.

"The one of the prophecy, right?" I asked. I was surprised Ikuto knew about it as well. He nodded. "Yeah, I heard all about that. How do you know?"

"It's pretty obvious just looking at you. I assume you're acquainted with the guardians?" I nodded slowly, confused. How did Ikuto know all of this?

"They want me to join them… I don't know if I should though, I mean, this is all just too much for me to handle," I explained, sighing. A part of me wondered why I was opening up to him, just some stranger that already graduated high school.

"Do what you want. They're pretty nice, but they could get annoying and cheesy at times. You can trust them though; they won't let you get hurt." I looked at Ikuto, surprised.

"Do you know them well?" I asked. Ikuto shrugged.

"Not anymore," He murmured quietly. I wondered what that response meant. Was he once close to them? What happened to change that?

Before I could speak again, Ikuto interjected. "It's almost eleven. Don't you think that's past your bedtime?" I frowned.

"Excuse me, I'll be sixteen in a few months. Besides, you're not much older than me so you can't be my guardian."

"I'm twenty-one," He pointed out with a smirk. For some reason, that took me by surprise. "Anyway, you have school tomorrow. Good night Amu, and I'll see you soon. Keep that lock I gave you close." Just like that, he hopped down my balcony, landing directly on his feet. How could he be that agile? Sighing, I went inside, and decided to take his advice for some arbitrary reason.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Despite being AU, I'm trying to keep certain things parallel with the actual anime, such as her initially denying the request to join the guardians. I'm also dropping some tiny references, as you probably noticed. Anyhow, expect an update soon. I'll be even more inclined to update if you review! Alerts and favorites are nice too. The real drama and action will come shortly.**


	4. At The Mall

**I own nothing!~ Enjoy!**

* * *

For the two remaining days of the school week, I was beginning to get the hang of my schedule and classes. I became acquainted with the teachers and the material that I had missed. I was not too concerned with catching up in my classes any longer. However, regarding my social life at Seiyo High, things were quite interesting. My peers often stared at me as if I was foreign. Not only was I still the new girl, but I was the girl that even intrigued the mighty guardians. I could practically feel the girls in my class gape each time Tadase shot me a glance, or each time Kukai waved to me in the hallways.

Despite denying their request initially, the guardians still seemed eager to get to know me, most likely to change my mind. Anytime I met Yaya's glance when I saw her walk in the hallway, she always screamed my name and grinned happily. I hardly knew her, but I could already gather that she was loud and peppy. Unfortunately, her calls to me only attracted more attention. I saw Kukai as much as I saw Yaya in the halls. Tadase sometimes spoke to me in our classes, which constantly angered some girls, especially Saaya. However, the one guardian that really seemed determined to be my friend was none other than Fujisaki Nadeshiko.

In each class we shared, Nadeshiko always made an effort to pair up with me for assignments. She offered to help me on art projects, and whenever we had free time at the end of the period, she talked to me. During lunch both days, Nadeshiko asked me if I wanted to sit with her, Tadase, and Kukai. Both days, I declined her offer, and continued to sit with the four girls, who seemed utterly perplexed by my decision. Even those four girls treated me differently, sometimes superior or sometimes just simply ignored.

Once the bell sounded after ninth period on Friday, I let out a huge breath of relief. I had just finished my first week at Seiyo (well, four days). I didn't know what to call those days. In terms of catching up with school, I was successful, but in terms of social status, I had not the faintest clue. No one treated me like just a normal girl, with the possible exception of Nadeshiko. It was overwhelming. That further repelled me from joining the guardians. If I did decide to accept their offer, all chances I would ever have at being an ordinary girl would be diminished. On the contrary, it seemed I was already sealed to a bizarre path, regarding the prophecy and whatever power I would have.

The next morning, I woke up with a start, hearing my phone beeping. I sighed a breath of relief, having been woken up from the fourth "help me" dream in a row. Yawning, I turned to face my phone. I pulled it out of the charger, and read the message. I cocked an eyebrow at first, not recognizing the number.

_Hello, it is Nadeshiko. I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping with me today at one o'clock at the Seiyo Shopping Center. _

It took me a while to remember that I had given Nadeshiko my cell phone number. I was completely stunned; someone already wanted to go shopping with me? I couldn't believe that someone wanted to hang out with my outside of school already! Yes, it probably had to do with Nadeshiko's desire for me to join the guardians, but it still made me excited.

_Sure!_ I typed back, smiling excitedly. _Where should we meet?_ I pressed send, and waited for her to respond back. Sure enough, it only took her a few seconds.

_I live quite far from the mall, so we could walk from your place. I would love to see where you live, if that's alright with you. What is your address?_ I was already going to have a friend over?! I texted Nadeshiko my address and confirmed that plan. After finalizing the plans with Nadeshiko, I decided to shower. It was eleven, so I only had two hours to prepare.

As I felt the hot water run down my skin, I thought about my plans with Nadeshiko. I was ecstatic to have a plan with, most likely, the most popular girl in the grade. I knew that people would most likely gossip about me if they saw me with her, but it was still a good chance to become friends with someone, even if they were some weird aura-reading girl. She always made such a genuine effort to talk to me, and she seemed so kind. I hoped we became good friends.

I dried myself off, and fumbled through my drawer of shirts. Nadeshiko dressed extremely elegantly, so I knew I had to dress somewhat formally. I shoved my graphic tees to the side, and searched for a nicer shirt. Should I wear a dress? No, Nadeshiko didn't wear dresses each day I saw her at school. I tried to calm myself down; it wasn't like I was going on a date. Nadeshiko was just a friend, and she probably didn't care what I wore. Still, I didn't want to make myself out to be a complete slob.

Sighing in defeat, I grabbed a white blouse and a pair of jeans. I threw the clothes on, and braided my hair to change it up. By now, it was noon; certainly it was too late for breakfast, so I made myself a quick sandwich for lunch.

"Hey mom," I called, briefly putting down my sandwich. My mother glanced over at me. "I'm going shopping with a new friend at one." I wondered if Nadeshiko could already be considered a friend. I guess going shopping with her confirmed that.

"You made a friend?" My mother wondered, seeming completely surprised. I stared at my mother, raising an eyebrow.

"Thanks for your faith in me, Mom," I muttered sarcastically.

"It's usually so hard for you to make friends. I'm happy for you. Go have fun." I smiled softly at my mother, and finished my sandwich. I had fifteen minutes before Nadeshiko arrived, so I decided to get money to use at the mall.

After ten minutes, I heard the doorbell ring. She was five minutes early. Gulping, I made my way to the front door, opening it to reveal the popular Nadeshiko Fujisaki. She wore a long-sleeved nice blue shirt with a white skirt. She had a jacket on over her outfit, and carried a large purse.

"Hello Hinamori-San," Nadeshiko greeted me, smiling kindly.

"Hey…" I greeted back.

"Ooh, is this your new friend?" My smile faded quickly, watching Ami jog over. She grinned at Nadeshiko, extending her hand. "I'm Ami!"

"Hello Ami-Chan, my name is Nadeshiko Fujisaki. It is a pleasure to meet you." Nadeshiko shook her hand, sending Ami into a fit of giggles.

"You don't have to treat her like she's so young; she's in sixth grade," I pointed out, crossing my arms. Nadeshiko turned to me, her eyes widening slightly.

"Oh, really?" She seemed surprised by Ami's age.

"Well, should we go now?" I wondered, gesturing out of the house. Nadeshiko chuckled lightly, and nodded. I waved to Ami and the rest of my family, closing the door behind me and locking it.

"Wow, you live quite close to the mall. I knew someone once who lived around here," Nadeshiko told me.

"Yeah, I haven't gotten a chance to go yet," I admitted.

"I'm sure you'll have a great time; there's a store for everyone there," Nadeshiko explained. "Well, while we're walking, I want to know a bit more about you." I looked at Nadeshiko curiously.

"What do you mean? I'm pretty boring, well, besides this whole prophecy thing." Nadeshiko smiled.

"I'm sure you aren't boring. So, you have a little sister in the sixth grade? Do you two fight a lot?" I sighed.

"Eh, I guess you could say that. We don't exactly argue, but Ami always manages to piss me off. She is totally spoiled by our parents! They always feed into her annoyance and treat her like she is some three-year-old. And Ami _always_ sings, and let me tell you, Ami cannot sing." It took me a moment to realize how much I had blurted. It seemed so easy to open up to Nadeshiko! "Sorry, I got a bit carried away…"

"No, that's not a problem," Nadeshiko reassured. "I bet a little sibling is annoying, always hogging the attention."

"Do you have any siblings?" I wondered shyly.

"No, it's just me," She admitted. "And my mother and Baaya, my housekeeper." Nadeshiko had a housekeeper?! I wondered what that meant about her house; it must have been large. I also wondered what happened to Nadeshiko's father, but I didn't inquire, since it could be awkward.

"So, this is the mall," Nadeshiko announced. I glanced up, marveling at the size. I had briefly seen the mall from the outside before, but I had not noticed its immense size.

"I haven't gone shopping in a while, even in my old town," I admitted, following her inside. "I can't say I'm not excited."

"I haven't gone in a while either. I don't really have too many friends that would go with me, considering I only have three close friends, besides you. However, shopping with Tadase would start too many rumors, and neither Kukai nor Yaya would have the patience…" It occurred to me that Nadeshiko referred to me as a close friend. I wondered if she was just being polite. That seemed more likely.

"That was the same problem with my old friends too," I admitted. "My best friend Yua was way too bouncy, and my other two best friends just weren't interested. The only time I could go shopping was with Ami, and I really didn't want to shop with her."

"I bet you two have many different tastes."

"Yup…" I admitted.

"Where do you want to go first, Hinamori-San?" Nadeshiko asked.

"I-I don't know anywhere! You can pick."

"There's a map over there. Please, you should choose," She insisted. Sighing in defeat, I walked over to the map, glancing at the shops.

"Are there any particular shops that you recommend?" I asked.

"Well, the Hot Spot is quite popular among girls in our grade," Nadeshiko informed me.

"Why don't we check that out?" Nadeshiko nodded, and we walked over to that shop. Once we walked inside, I felt immediately intimidated. The shirts that were being sold were priced at absurd prices, and were hideous. There was one shirt, hardly qualified as a shirt that was ripped on purpose, so something underneath was required.

"Do you shop from here?" I wondered, turning to Nadeshiko.

"No, not really…"

"Alright, then let's get out of here." Chuckling, Nadeshiko nodded and left with me. "Those shirts…"

"Yeah, I don't really find them too pretty," Nadeshiko agreed. "I don't really understand why people wear shirts like that."

"I don't really know her too well, but that seems like something that Saaya Yamabuki would wear," I realized, remembering some of the slutty outfits she wore on the few days I attended so far.

"I was just thinking that!" Nadeshiko exclaimed. "You're so right; I'm pretty sure she shops there frequently."

"Not surprised," I muttered. As we continued walking, I noticed a sign that stood out to me. On the sign, it showed a girl with blonde pigtails laying down. It almost seemed like she was lying while a clutter of butterflies flying around her. What really drew me to the poster was its caption: Meikyuu Butterfly- Utau Hoshina. I remembered hearing that song during my drive to Seiyo. It was the only song that had not been overplayed, and I even liked the tune to it. I tried to replay it in my mind, but unfortunately, I had forgotten how it went.

"Hinamori-San?" I blinked, turning to Nadeshiko.

"Ah, uh, sorry! I have this habit sometimes where I start spacing out…"

"It's not a problem. Would you like to go inside this store?" I glanced up at it, seeing it was called Lotus Flower.

"Sounds good," I agreed, following her inside. Fortunately, the clothing inside was much prettier and less suggestive. I walked over to a red-and-black striped shirt. As shown on the nearby mannequin, it was one of those shirts that draped over a shoulder. It was made of wool, so I knew it would be able to keep me warm, especially in the winter.

"That's such a pretty shirt," Nadeshiko marveled.

"I think I'm going to buy it. It's only twelve dollars."

"Oh, don't worry about it." I glanced at Nadeshiko curiously. "I'll do it." My eyes widened, shocked by her offer.

"No way! Nadeshiko….err, Fujisaki-San, it's my shirt!"

"Please, it's my pleasure." I watched as Nadeshiko paid for me, handing the cashier twelve dollars. A smile crossed my face as she walked back over to me, handing me the shopping bag.

"Thank you Fujisaki-San," I exclaimed.

"You can call me Nadeshiko." I beamed.

"Then, you can call me Amu."

"Alright…Amu." Nadeshiko smiled. We shopped at a few more stores. I bought some more shirts and a cute orange skirt, all of which Nadeshiko practically forced me to let her pay. It was incredibly kind of her.

"Amu, are you hungry for a snack?" Nadeshiko asked. "There is a great self-serve frozen yogurt restaurant we could go to. I know it's a bit out of season in the winter, but it is still really good."

"That sounds great," I concurred. We walked into the frozen yogurt place, and got some to eat. Nadeshiko topped her chocolate frozen yogurt with a mix of fruits on top, while I had vanilla and chocolate swirled with chocolate chips, cookie dough bites, and hot fudge. In comparison, I felt extremely fat.

"Why don't you tell me more about yourself?" Nadeshiko wondered, as we sat down at a table. I put my spoon in the frozen yogurt, and raised an eyebrow.

"I already told you; I'm really boring!" I pointed out. "I just have sister problems, but that's really it…"

"Do you have any hobbies? Specific interests?" Nadeshiko seemed really curious.

"Well, I like drawing I guess, and cooking sometimes. I was on the cheerleading team in the eighth grade." I shuddered, remembering the two dreadful years of middle school. I had been a completely different person.

"I could tell you like drawing, based on your doodles in art," Nadeshiko observed.

"I like art, but I'm horrible at it, hence you having to help me," I mumbled. Nadeshiko shook her head.

"You're not horrible."

"Well, I'm not good."

"Trust me, I've seen worse." I cocked my head to the side, puzzled to whom Nadeshiko was referring to. She chuckled slightly. "Yaya. She, um, isn't quite the best with art… Let's just leave it that you are Da Vinci compared to her." I wondered how horrible Yaya could be at art, that my art could possibly be deemed as amazing.

"So, what are your hobbies Nadeshiko?" I asked.

"Well, in my family, dancing is highly admired. It is expected that we pursue excellence in our dancing." I glanced at her, trying to picture her as a dancer. Due to Nadeshiko's elegance, I could vividly see her excelling at dance.

"Wow, I would love to see you dance sometime," I told her.

"I'm sure you don't. I mean, I'm really not great at all…" A loud crash made us both glance up. People were screaming all around us. As I turned around, I noticed a large creature running around, presumably a demon. It was yellow/grey and looked much different from the one I encountered on my first day of school. I nudged Nadeshiko, and motioned toward it.

"Well, that's my other hobby," She muttered, standing up. She reached in her pocketbook, and pulled out a gun.

"Do you always carry that around?!" I exclaimed.

"You never know when a demon will pop up," She muttered, walking toward it. A loud shot sounded as Nadeshiko pulled the trigger. Due to its immense size, the bullet seemed to merely attract its attention. The demon turned, baring its fangs at her. To my dismay, a smirk crossed Nadeshiko's mouth. She didn't seem concerned at all. She reached into her bag once again, and pulled out a small, black stick-like contraction. She pressed a button on the top of it, and suddenly, it nearly doubled in size, and a blade formed at the end of it.

"W-What…"

"It's called a naginata. It's my weapon of choice." Nadeshiko held it firmly in her palm, and swung it at the creature. Immediately the demon cried out. It attempted to claw at Nadeshiko, but she dodged it, and attacked it swiftly from the back. It collapsed on the ground. She shrunk the naginata, and placed it back in her pocket. I watched, absolutely horrified and amazed.

"That was incredible!" I exclaimed. Nadeshiko glanced up at me, and beamed.

"Thank you! I've been training a bit with Kukai, so that's where I got the whole idea of attacking from the back." She turned back to it. "Hm, it's a Brute Demon, known for its power." I gaped.

"How do you know the demon by simply looking at it?!" I exclaimed.

"I have studied them. Besides, I've been fighting them for years now. Although I only officially became a guardian last year when I first attended high school, I have known all about these creatures since the sixth grade." Since sixth grade?! I imagined someone Ami's age fighting these demons. That seemed so young to me. "Well, we should go. Unfortunately, there's no way to transport the demon without magic, and we do not have Tadase nor Yaya." I nodded, following Nadeshiko out of the mall. We sat at a bench nearby.

"So, all of you, the guardians, have known each other for some time?" I asked. She smiled, seeming excited that I asked.

"Yeah, we have," Nadeshiko admitted. "I met Tadase in the second grade and we've been best friends for years. Tadase already knew Kukai, so I became close with him through Tadase, and Yaya was friends with Kukai and his entire family, so it didn't take long for us all to become close. However, we have met many people along the way that we have all befriended. Despite the attention people give us, we really aren't a superior or exclusive group at all. If we weren't deemed so popular, then I would have befriended many people." I laughed slightly.

"You really want me to join the guardians, don't you?" Nadeshiko smiled brightly.

"I do want you to join, but not entirely for the reasons you may think. I want to be your friend Amu. I really like you, and I want to get to be close with you. Yes, it will be important having you around for the whole prophecy thing, but I really just want to get to know you and hopefully form a new friendship to last the rest of high school." I remembered what Ikuto had said that night on the balcony about the guardians. Maybe I shouldn't be so scared; maybe I should just join. I really liked spending time with Nadeshiko, and I definitely wanted to get to know Tadase better, and even Kukai and Yaya. The whole demon idea seemed dangerous and frightening, but I knew that I could get through it with the help of the other four.

"If I join, how will the other students react?"

"I'm not going to lie," Nadeshiko chuckled slightly, "they will treat you differently. However, you are extremely likeable and cute. You will not be regarded the way Tadase and I are. Yaya is not seen as superior, due to her bouncy self." I could do this.

"Is there, like, a sign-up sheet?" Nadeshiko smiled.

"No, don't worry. It's a very low key induction. Come to the Royal Garden after school Monday. I have to get going; my mother wanted me home at five to practice my dancing. I know you will not regret your decision, and I cannot wait to spend time with you as a guardian." My opinion on the guardians altered dramatically. I was excited to join up with them and befriend them. Nadeshiko was extremely good at manipulating me to change my mind. That being said, I did want to get to know her better. As I arrived home, I knew that Nadeshiko and I would grow to become great friends, maybe even best.

After doing absolutely nothing all day Sunday, Monday finally came. The entire school day, I listened to annoying teachers babble. Unfortunately, since I was starting my second week of school, I had homework I was now required to do. During lunch, I sat with Nadeshiko, Tadase, and Kukai.

Finally, the end of the day came. I got all of my necessary books, and met up with Nadeshiko to walk to the Royal Garden. She smiled at me.

"Are you ready?" She asked, as we walked to the extravagant building I would soon become extremely acquainted with.

"Surprisingly, I'm quite looking forward to this. Do you do this every day?"

"Basically, unless another club conflicts," Nadeshiko explained. Finally, we arrived outside. We walked into the Royal Garden. At the fifth chair, I noticed the letter "A" stitched onto it. I smiled brightly, and sat down in it.

"Welcome to the guardians, Amu-Chi!" Yaya announced, grinning.

"Amu-_Chi_?" I wondered, puzzled.

"It's Yaya's way of referring to people," Tadase explained. "She's always quite unique." Yaya briefly stood up, and curtsied. "Anyway, it is customary for the members of the guardians to wear this cape." Tadase handed me a plaid red cape that was supposedly supposed to go over my shirt. "It's alright if you choose not to wear it; as you can tell, none of us are wearing it. However, it is important to own, since Tsukasa-San seems to appreciate it when we wear it to special occasions or assemblies." Assemblies?! Oh god… "Welcome to the guardians, Hinamori-San." Tadase extended his hand. I contemplated asking him to call me Amu, but I was too shy. I took his hand, and shook it lightly, prompting me to blush.

"Woohoo! We finally got a fifth member!" Kukai grinned, and patted my head. "Welcome Hinamori! We don't only fight demons and do student council stuff; we have parties too!"

"With lots of dessert!" Yaya added, grinning. They high-fived. It didn't shock me that they were family-friends too. I turned to face Nadeshiko, who was smiling at me. I smiled back, and stuck my thumbs up. For the first time since moving to Seiyo, I felt like I belonged somewhere.

* * *

**As usual, please review/favorite/alert! I promise, the action/drama will pick up soon! I'm proud of how many reviews this story has so far;**


	5. Full Moon

**So, here we are with the next chapter! I own practically nothing, and enjoy!**

* * *

I stood firmly somewhere underneath my high school, holding an axe that was almost as tall as me. It was extremely heavy, but I attempted to ignore the weight. As a yellow-and-black striped creature ran toward me, I held it in a position as if I was ready to swing. I knelt back slightly, and allowed the creature to run at me. Finally, I swung the axe at it. Unfortunately, I missed completely, and accidentally dropped the axe on my foot.

"AH!" I screamed, wincing in immense pain. The demon lunged at me, unbeknownst to me. Within seconds, it vanished, and I was left to reveal the walls of the underground. The other four guardians stood nearby.

"Amu, are you alright?" Nadeshiko wondered, walking toward me.

"My foot kind of hurts…" I admitted. Without much effort, Nadeshiko lifted the axe, and placed in a chest where they stored the weapons. As I turned around, I noticed Yaya giggling uncontrollably. I frowned at her.

"Well, it was your first training simulation," Tadase reassured. "Evidently, you need some work, but that is only natural, considering you have never fought before." He put a hand on my shoulder, making my entire face turn bright red. Nadeshiko turned to me, smirking slightly. Oh god, Nadeshiko noticed my reaction to Tadase. I had not told anyone about my tiny crush on Tadase. Ever since I first joined the guardians yesterday, I had become even more interested in Tadase. Anytime he put his hand on my shoulder or said something kind, my entire inside would swell up. I guess it was bound to happen that someone, especially someone observant like Nadeshiko, would notice.

"Hinamori would probably do better with a lighter weapon," Kukai inferred, fumbling through the chest of weapons. He pulled out a dagger and handed it to me. "This is one of my favorites to use. I'm sure you'll get used to it." I took the dagger from him, my fingers touching his hand. My cheeks turned pink, as I examined the weapon.

"Ooh, Amu-Chi! You can be a rogue just like Kukai!" Yaya exclaimed, grinning.

"Shall we load up another simulation for Amu?" Kukai wondered, turning toward Tadase. He turned to me, and shook his head.

"I think Hinamori-San has had enough practice for today. She has hardly any fighting experience," Tadase pointed out.

"I'll continue trying tomorrow after school," I promised, picking up my school bag. "See you guys tomorrow."

"Bye Amu-Chi!" Yaya called. The others waved, Nadeshiko giving me a smile. I walked out of the Royal Garden, and walked home. Although I was considerably less experienced than the others and I was still new, I was beginning to enjoy being a part of the guardians. They really were welcoming and were patient with me. I could not wait to become closer friends with them.

"Amu, you've been coming home later lately," My mother noted, as I entered the front door. Ami sat at the table, doing her homework.

"Yeah, I joined a club and made some new friends," I explained, sitting down across from Ami. She looked up at me, and grinned.

"Sissy! Guess what!? We're seeing a concert together this Sunday!" I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I turned to my parents inquisitively.

"Well, both your father and I work for this company called Easter," My mother explained. I raised an eyebrow. Easter? That was certainly an odd name.

"You mentioned it was a company that sponsors many artists, right?" I wondered. My parents nodded.

"Well, there's this new artist that our boss, Kazuomi keeps featuring. Because I was assigned to take photographs of her for her first album and your mother was assigned to write the magazine article about her, we were given two free tickets to see her perform a song this Sunday. We thought we would give them to you girls!"

"YAY!" Ami bounced up and down, although she had already heard the news.

"Who is the singer?" I wondered, curious.

"Her name is Utau Hoshina. She came out with her hit song Meikyuu Butterfly that has attracted much popularity." Suddenly, it dawned on me. I remembered seeing her advertisement at the mall with Nadeshiko, and hearing that song in the radio when we were first driving here. Now, I would be seeing her live. I wondered what she was like. Ami grinned widely, seeming extremely excited.

"Alright. What time?" I wondered.

"It's at five in the evening," My mother told me. I nodded. I quickly finished my homework, and then headed up to my bedroom, where I had to read the first chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird assigned for English class.

"Hm, I remember that book. The guy was falsely accused and later deemed guilty." I looked up, and nearly screamed. Directly across from me on the bed, sat Ikuto who watched me.

"Do you make a hobby of creeping up on younger girls?" I wondered, the shock evaporating. "It seems like you are quite experienced at it." Ikuto shrugged.

"You intrigue me, Amu Hinamori." I raised an eyebrow, before sitting up, having finished the first chapter.

"How did you even get inside?" I wondered.

"You left your balcony door opened," He pointed out. I glanced over, seeing the door leading to my balcony wide open.

"Well, I should probably lock that more often, in case any real intruders come in. Though honestly, I hardly know you and you can just as easily be a thief." He chuckled. "Why are you here anyway? You haven't come by in a bit."

"I've been meaning to come by sooner, but my sister has been holding me captive, almost literally," He explained. "Finally, she is getting some fresh air, so I figured I'd get some as well. Little sisters can be such a pain." I sighed.

"I know how you feel," I agreed, sighing. "My little sister is so aggravating. And now, I have to see this concert on Sunday with her. I mean, it sounds interesting I guess, but Ami is just going to attempt to sing along."

"What concert?" He wondered.

"Some debut singer- Utau Hoshina?" He smirked, and frowned slightly.

"I've heard her song. It's pretty good." It almost seemed like Ikuto was holding back something, but I decided not to inquire any further. He glanced over at my nightstand, seeing the lock he previously gave me.

"What exactly is it?" I wondered, glancing at him.

"That's for you to find out. I'll give you a hint though." He peered up at me. "A lock cannot open without a matching key." He walked over to the door of the balcony.

"Wait, Ikuto!" He paused, turning toward me. "I would like to get to know you a bit more. Maybe we could meet up after school tomorrow, well after the guardian meeting?"

"Hm, so you decided to join them after all?" I nodded. He turned away. "Well, unfortunately I will not be around tomorrow." He walked outside. "Though I find it flattering that you asked me on a date."

"W-What?! I-I wasn't-" Before I could finish, he was gone. Sighing, I collapsed on my bed. Who was Ikuto? I did want to get to know him better, but I had not intended for it to be a date. I assumed that he was probably teasing me. Sighing, I decided to fall to sleep.

* * *

I woke up the next morning, having experienced the umpteenth "help me" dream. I took a shower, got dressed, and got in the car for school. Finally, I arrived in the Social Studies room, only to notice an unfamiliar man standing in the room, presumably the substitute. I took my seat, watching him keenly. Once the bell rang, the man coughed, seizing the attention of the room.

"As you could probably gather, your teacher is absent. Unfortunately, due to personal issues, she will be unable to come back, so I am your substitute for the rest of the year." Many whispers sounded around me. What could have happened to her? Was she alright? As if the substitute read my mind, he continued to speak. "She is alright, but wishes she could remain for the rest of the year. You can call me Mr. Nikaidou or Nikaidou-Sensei."

"He's kind of cute," I heard a girl whisper nearby, giggling. I glanced up at Nikaidou, trying to see any semblance of cute, but I was unsuccessful. He had extremely messy orange hair, making him appear quite unprofessional. He wore a tie, but it wasn't tied correctly. Even his belt seemed way too large. As he walked over to the desk, he tripped on his untied shoe laces, and fell flying toward the ground. Everyone in the class burst out laughing. I watched, wondering what I should do. Should I help him? No, that was too awkward. I felt guilty for him. I had tripped on my first day attending Seiyo, and I had been absolutely petrified. He was the epitome of all of my initial fears.

It didn't take Nikaidou too long to get to his feet. His face was bright red, as he continued to his desk, and lifted a piece of paper. He coughed lightly to regain his composure and cleaned his glasses with his shirt. He finally read the paper, reading off names of students.

"Amu Himamori?" He finally read. I gulped, realizing his mistake.

"I-It's _Hinamori_," I corrected shyly. "But I'm here." He glanced up at me, studying me for a moment. He glanced back at the sheet, and continued reading off names. After reading Saaya Yamabuki, he put the list down. He reached into his bag, and fumbled through it. He pulled out a few papers, putting them back quickly. Even from the back of the room, I could visibly see how unorganized he was.

"He's such a loser," Saaya mumbled quietly. I turned to her, raising an eyebrow. That was so characteristic of Saaya, to point out how uncool someone was. Finally, Nikaidou pulled out a sheet of paper, presumably our teacher's instructions.

"So, you were learning about Rome? No, no, wait, that was the regular class; you are honors." We all watched, as he stuffed that sheet of paper into the bag. Finally, after he found the correct sheet, the bell rang. He sighed, allowing us to leave. After walking out of the class ahead of me, Saaya extended her foot, allowing for Nikaidou to trip face first. She snickered, leaving the room. I watched him slowly stand, as I was the last to leave.

"D-Do you need help?" I wondered timidly.

"No, you should get to class… thanks though…" I left the room, and headed for Gym, probably the worst class. We were doing Yoga, which was absolutely dreadful. At least I sat next to Tadase, and I could see him stretching in cute poses… what even happened to my mind?

Finally, after continuing with the rest of the day, I got my necessary books for home, which was everything except for History, since we spent the entire class watching Nikaidou struggle, and headed to the Royal Garden.

"Hello Amu!" Nadeshiko greeted, shooting me a smile. I smiled back, and took my respective seat. My insides churned when Tadase smiled. Kukai and Yaya grinned as usual. "Say, you mentioned you had Scarow for History, right?"

"Well, now it's Nikaidou, but yeah…"

"He's, um… quite the character," Tadase pointed out. Noticing Kukai and Yaya's confusion, Tadase proceeded to explain. "He's quite clumsy, and his papers are a complete mess."

"N-Not that clumsiness is bad!" I pointed out. Tadase smiled at me again. "I had him first period, and we didn't do anything."

"He clearly didn't improve eighth period," Nadeshiko pointed out.

"Anyhow, let's get Hinamori suited for fighting. I mean, I'm sure she'll be one exceptional fighter." Kukai winked at me.

"N-No, I don't really think I will be," I admitted.

"Gosh Amu-Chi, you're so modest!" Yaya exclaimed. "Kukai's right; you're the one of the prophecy and prophecies have to make people strong!"

"Thanks Yaya…" I mumbled.

"Oh Amu, we were hoping to have a guardian meeting one day this weekend; which day works best for you?" Nadeshiko asked. I remembered the concert my parents mentioned.

"I can't on Sunday because I'm seeing a concert. I can Saturday though."

"What concert? Yaya really wants to see Kit and Kat!" Yaya grinned. Kit and Kat were some children's band that I had not heard about since Ami and I were both extremely young.

"It's some debut singer… Oh! Um… Meikyuu Butterfly…Utau Hoshina! That was it!" Suddenly, everything went silent. Yaya's excitement dimmed down significantly. Kukai's face lost all of its color. Tadase and Nadeshiko exchanged a glance, Tadase looking gloomy. "Did I say anything?" I wondered, completely confused.

"Oh! N-No, it's nothing," Tadase lied. "Don't worry about it Hinamori-San; you are fine. Really." When Tadase put a comforting hand on my shoulder, my heart began racing, and the awkward silence was quickly forgotten.

"Well, back to training!" Kukai reverted to acting like himself, and formed a cheesy grin. Again, the guardians brought me underneath the Royal Garden, and started the training simulation. I gulped, holding the dagger Kukai previously gave me. A new holographic demon approached me, its skin red and made of scales. I noticed it vanishing slightly and it looked quite pixelated.

"Uh, don't mind the glitch! There are some problems in the system!" Kukai called. "Nade!~ You're the computer expert!"

"I'm working with it now," Nadeshiko announced. "Amu, just ignore it for now and fight the demon normally." I nodded slowly, turning nervously to the pixelated demon. It growled at me, and charged closer to me. It reminded me of a creature from an old video game or something. I clutched the dagger, and attempted to swing it at the creature. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful, due to the dagger's small size. I quickly dodged the demon.

"Hinamori, you're supposed to throw it!" Kukai called.

"Uh, right!" I complied, and threw the dagger. Unfortunately, I missed, and it went flying to the right. I could hear Yaya laughing hysterically at me.

"We should try to teach Amu-Chi magic," Yaya suggested.

"Magic isn't something simple to grasp; you know that Yaya," Tadase informed her. I could hear Yaya's pouts.

"Oh Amu? I'm going to end the simulation." The demon vanished, and I was facing the other guardians again. "It wasn't entirely your fault. There's a full moon tonight. As a result, many demons come out, and of course, there are werewolves. This causes the wireless signals to become weaker on these days." I shouldn't have been too surprised that werewolves were also real, but for some reason, I was.

"Werewolves?" I inquired.

"Well, yeah!" Kukai grinned. "You know, the creatures in the stories; they turn to wolf during a full moon, and they attack, blah, blah, blah."

"Except that many of the werewolves are unaware of their identity as part-wolf," Tadase explained further. "That's why it is difficult to fight wolves, because they are a human for almost an entire month and they are likely fellow peers. They always forget their memories as a wolf."

"Wow… So, those stories are true too?" I wondered.

"Vampires are also real, though the recent depictions of them in novels such as _Twilight_ are inaccurate," Nadeshiko explained. "Also, you know about the existence of witches and mages." Yaya curtsied.

"Oh, and vampires don't really sparkle!" Kukai pointed out.

"Wow…"

"It's getting late, and we should probably get home before the sun sets," Nadeshiko pointed out. "Unfortunately, I will not be able to go out tonight and help hunt the wolves, because my mother wanted me to get home to practice dancing."

"Yeah, I have to head home too," Kukai admitted. "Hey Hinamori, want a ride?" I looked at him, surprised. "You probably shouldn't walk home in this condition."

"Oh, okay…Sure!" I smiled.

"Ohh, Yaya's mommy is here! Sorry Kukai; Yaya is going to hitch a ride from Mommy today!" She hugged Kukai, and performed their secret handshake. She waved to the rest of us, and skipped outside to her car.

"Shall we head home, Hinamori?" Kukai wondered.

"Geez Kukai, you don't need to start flaunting the fact that you can drive," Nadeshiko pointed out. Kukai grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. I waved to Nadeshiko and Tadase, and followed Kukai to his parked car.

"It isn't technically my car, since I don't have my license yet, but my mother allows me to drive it!" Seeing my appalled expression, Kukai laughed. "No worries Hinamori; I have my permit and I'm allowed to drive within a certain distance. I'm sure your house is alright, since I can drive to Nade's house and she lives far away."

"You know, you can call me Amu," I pointed out, climbing into the passenger seat. I closed the door, and buckled myself in. Kukai got into the front seat, and buckled as well. He turned the key, and began to back up.

"I usually refer to people by their last name, although there are a few exceptions." Kukai smiled. "I'll give it a shot though… Amu. Say, can you type your address into the GPS? If you told me it, I'm afraid I would get lost, due to my horrible sense of direction." I nodded, and typed it into the GPS. Most likely due to the abundance of demons that supposedly came out on full moons, it took a while for it to find the signal. I gave Kukai some directions.

"How long do full moons usually last?" I asked, turning to him.

"Oh, they are three days," He explained, keeping his eyes on the road. I noticed his face turn slightly pink. "However, the moon is technically only full one night, and on the other two nights, it appears full to us, but it isn't really. The werewolves only transform one day."

Finally, we arrived outside my house, with Kukai turning the wrong way a couple of times. He parked outside of the house, the wheel going on the curb slightly.

"Oh I actually would have been able to find you! I, um, knew someone who lived nearby who I saw frequently…"

"Ah, well, thanks Kukai! I'll be sure to take more rides from you in the future. I opened the door.

"Amu…" I turned to him curiously, waiting for him to continue. He bit his lip, before glancing up at me, grinning. "Uh, well, I… ah, never mind. Have a nice evening! Don't let the werewolves bite!" I laughed at Kukai's attempt at a pun, and went inside my house. I wondered what he was going to say.

"Who did you get a ride from?" My mother asked.

"Oh, my friend. He's a year older than me, and he can drive," I explained.

"_He_ can drive?!" My father exclaimed, looking horrified. I sighed, knowing how my father hated me becoming acquainted with anyone of the opposite gender.

"I'm going to do my homework." I muttered, retreating to my room. As I did my homework pretty quickly, I heard a loud howl. I turned to my window in horror. It was clearly a wolf, as the others described. However, I couldn't see it. After I finished my homework quickly and ate a quick dinner, I went onto my balcony, only to see a wolf running around below me. I gulped, running inside and closing the door. However, I could still see it running around. It was growling and clawing at trees. People on the streets screamed, fortunately running away quickly. The wolf continued running, and it left my line of vision. I wondered who the person was when he or she was a human. They probably had no idea what they were and the damage they were causing.

Once I was in my pajamas and lying on my bed, I flipped on the television. The news talked about the wolves, but surprisingly, they seemed pretty nonchalant about it. This must have been a common occurrence for them. One day, every month, they always see a wolf. Any competent person would likely see the correlation. Besides, they lived in Seiyo; a city where many demons popped up. After a few minutes, I turned off the television, and drifted to sleep.

* * *

The day started off as normal again, with the "help me" dream, showering, the rest of the routine, and breakfast. I wondered what the definition of normal was for others. I bet someone like Saaya Yamabuki woke up early to spend hours on make-up and her hair. On the contrary, I bet the guardians packed their weapons along with their books. Yaya probably ate candy, as she always babbled about. Today, I decided to walk to school. I left the house, and went on my walk to the school. Right after I stepped upon school property, I noticed something peculiar. I walked over to a tree in a desolate area of the property, seeing something odd. I walked behind the tree, and noticed an unconscious person. He was face down and his back was bare. He wore tight pants. I might have walked away and told someone, if I had not seen the hair. It was quite interesting, seeing the familiar midnight blue hair that occasionally popped up on my balcony in the sunlight.

* * *

**For the record, I hope you get used to twists like these, because you'll be seeing _many_ of them. I hope you all are enjoying so far. It will start getting dramatic soon. Please review/favorite/alert! The more the merrier :). **


	6. Utau Hoshina

**For the second half of this chapter, I suggest you open a tab to YouTube, and type in Meikyuu Butterfly Utau Hoshina/Nana Mizuki. Enjoy!**

* * *

As I continued to stare at the unconscious figure in front of me, I noticed him slowly budge. I gulped, contemplating my options. I couldn't just abandon him; after all, he was somewhat an acquaintance of mine. However, I had not the faintest clue what to do. Should I call for an ambulance? Fortunately, I did not need to panic for much longer, because he was stirring. He sat up the opposite direction, his bare back facing me.

"Shit, the cage didn't work," He muttered.

"…Ikuto?" I wondered, calling his name gently. To my dismay, he turned around swiftly, facing me. Involuntarily, my face turned crimson, becoming alert to the shirtless chest facing me. Though I hated to admit it, he had model-like muscles. To say the least, he was utterly hot.

"Amu, what are you-" Before he finished his sentence, he turned his head to the side, noticing the large school beside him. "This is where I ended up? Strange."

"W-What's going on?" I wondered, completely puzzled. He didn't answer, and rose to his feet instead.

"I better get going."

"Wait, but aren't you going to explain?!" Ikuto turned to face me for a moment.

"Does this really warrant an explanation? You know exactly what this is, don't you?" He stepped closer to me. I gulped, backing up into the tree.

"I-I…"

"I'm not some normal guy from off the street, as you could already assume." He placed his hands on the tree and on either side of my face. His face was not too far away from mine. I could feel his breath on my face as he spoke, prompting my cheeks to match the color of a tomato. "The guardians already explained to you about the truths of this world. Doesn't it all add up Amu; full moon, my sudden appearance? You know what I am; I am a-"

"Leave her alone!" A loud voice bellowed. Ikuto licked his lips, and seemed to smirk. However, I noticed his eyes darken slightly.

"That's certainly a voice from the past." Ikuto backed away from me. I exhaled heavily, just realizing the fact that I was holding my breath. Suddenly, I became alert to the presence of a very steamed Tadase. It occurred to me embarrassingly quickly that I was in the midst of a quarrel between two extremely attractive guys. However, I was not attracted to Ikuto the way I was to Tadase.

"So, you have not been able to keep your transformations at bay after all of this time?" I never knew that it was possible for someone as kind as Tadase to have so much contempt in his voice. Ikuto scoffed.

"We both know it isn't quite that simple, Tadase."

"Don't you_ dare_ address me like that!" Tadase roared. "Actually, don't address me at all. What makes you so freaking entitled, to just show up nonchalantly after what you did?! You belong in jail, Tsukiyomi Ikuto!"

"I'm not one for containment, as you well know. My wolf form happens to agree." Ikuto muttered the last part quietly, but both of us heard.

"Go away, Tsukiyomi!" Tadase growled. "And don't you dare even consider harming Hinamori-San, or any of my other friends!" I tried to ignore smile that tried to force its way upon my face, having been referred to as Tadase's friend.

"You better keep a close eye on her." Ikuto began walking away. "We both know that she's the one." Tadase glared at him, as he hopped on a tree, and moved as rapidly as an alley cat. However, referring to him as a cat seemed quite ironic at this point, due to the fact he was a werewolf. No wonder Ikuto denied my request to meet up the previous day.

"Sorry about that," Tadase murmured, turning to me. He smiled warmly at me. "If you see him around, stay away. His only intention is to hurt you."

"W-What did he do to you?" I asked cautiously.

"I-I'd rather not discuss it." Tadase looked at the ground. "I'm sorry, it's just kind of personal…"

"Oh, no, I'm sorry for asking! It's none of my business, really…" Tadase glanced up at me, and smiled softly.

"We better head to class; I'm sure you don't want to be late."

"Well, I doubt it matters if I'm late to Nikaidou-Sensei's class," I pointed out. Tadase laughed slightly, walking beside me to school. I always felt so nervous speaking to him, although deep down, I knew it was futile to be concerned.

* * *

As usual, the school day progressed as normal. At the end of the day, I went to my locker to retrieve the necessary books, and then left to go to the Royal Garden. As I walked over to the isolated area where it was located, I passed by the tree I had previously found Ikuto at. Why did Tadase detest Ikuto so much? I figured that it was best that I kept my affiliations with him a secret. After all, Tadase told me to stay away from him. I wondered what was so dangerous about him, besides the fact he was a wolf once a month.

A loud roar terminated my thoughts immediately. I rapidly turned around, tripping on my foot and falling to the grass. As I looked up, I noticed a small black demon dashing toward me. It looked strangely cute, and almost like one of the monsters from the film _Lilo and Stitch_. Screaming, I grabbed my heavy bag, and threw it at the demon. Fortunately, the bag was large enough to crush the demon. I heard the demon cry out, before it suddenly ceased. As I lifted my bag, I was appalled to find it covered in green blood.

"Ew…" I murmured, noticing the crushed the demon. I suddenly felt nauseated by that sight. I backed up slowly, and when I looked back at it, I suddenly noticed it vanished. Was it alive?! Suddenly, I heard clapping. I stood up, and turned around, seeing the other four guardians behind me.

"Great job Amu!" Kukai exclaimed, patting my back. "That was your first demon kill!"

"It's a Crawler," Nadeshiko explained. "It moves fairly quickly and has venom teeth. Fortunately, your instincts took over. I'm actually quite impressed that you were able to react so rapidly. If you had not though, we were watching to see how you would react." I nodded slowly.

"Hey, isn't the Crawler the one with the blood that can melt your skin?" Yaya wondered. Horrified, I began shaking my bag incessantly to shake the blood off of it. The blood suddenly vanished, as a result of one of Tadase's spells. He smiled at me.

"No, that's the Fryer," Tadase clarified. Yaya nodded in understanding. "Well, we better head back to the Royal Garden. I teleported the demon to its respective cage. The five of us walked back to the Royal Garden.

"Well, Tsukasa-San wanted us to start preparing for the winter's end dance," Tadase started. "For today, we might as well take a break of preparing Hinamori-San, since she proved herself as very instinctual." I beamed.

"Our principal enjoys having a plethora of dances," Nadeshiko explained to me. "He really likes showing school spirit."

"When is the dance?" I wondered.

"It's on March fourteenth, which is in fourteen days actually, since today is the last day of February," Nadeshiko answered.

"Ooh, Amu-Chi! You're going to have to find a date to the dance!" Yaya pointed out. My eyes widened. A date?!

"You don't need to find a date, Hinamori-San. Don't feel pressured." It was quite a letdown hearing that comment from Tadase.

After the guardian meeting was adjourned, I left the Royal Garden to walk home. However, on my way, I heard a voice call my name. I turned, seeing Nadeshiko jog over to me.

"What's up?" I wondered, smiling at her.

"Well, I live in the same direction as you, so I was wondering if I could walk with you." I nodded, and walked beside her.

"Say… are you going to go to the dance with anyone?" I wondered, making conversation.

"Nah… I'm not really interested in dating boys." She chuckled lightly. "I'm not gay either." She winked at me. "I notice you, however, seem to be interested in a certain someone." I turned bright red.

"Is it that obvious?" I wondered, my face completely flushed.

"In comparison to Tadase's fan-girls, it's quite inconspicuous. However, it is quite clear whenever you stammer around him or blush."

"Uh… Well, I-I mean, I know I'm not going to be with him. I'm sure he has girls lined up for him."

"Don't doubt yourself so much Amu; most of Tadase's fan-girls annoy him, especially the ones like Saaya. He really likes you, as a friend for now anyway, and I know he would be much more inclined to date you then many other girls."

"Really?"

"100%. And, if you want, I'll help you out," She offered.

"Nade! You're the best!" Nadeshiko smiled.

"Well, here's your house. I love talking to you, as always." I nodded, and turned to her.

"Thanks Nade. I'm so happy I made you as a friend."

"Because I help you get a boy?" Nadeshiko teased.

"That too, but because I feel really comfortable around you. I never felt that comfortable, even around my old friends." I hugged her lightly. She seemed slightly taken aback, but she hugged me back. I went inside, and she continued walking back to her house.

* * *

The next few days progressed as normal. Each day at the Guardian meeting, I continued doing simulations and we discussed the upcoming dance briefly. We even held out Saturday meeting. Finally, Sunday came. I woke up around ten, showered, and looked through my choices of clothing. What was appropriate to wear to a concert? It wasn't like a formal concert; it was a concert my parents happened to get free tickets for. Finally, I decided on a black shirt with a flowered skirt. I combed my hair back and tied it into a ponytail. I glanced at the lock that Ikuto gave me on my nightstand, and decided to wear it. Surprisingly, it went well with my outfit. I descended the steps, but unfortunately, I tripped on one of them, falling face first to the ground.

"Amu, are you alright?!" My mother exclaimed, walking over to me. I could hear Ami snickering loudly.

"Y-Yeah…" I murmured, standing up slowly. I glared at my sister, who did not even attempt to stifle her laughter. Since it had taken me two hours to prepare, there was no point in me eating breakfast. After eating a sandwich for lunch with my family, I waited until four thirty, when we had to go and leave. My father grabbed the car keys, and drove us over to the concert.

"I'm so excited!" Ami exclaimed. Although I was sitting in the passenger's seat, I could see out of the corner of my eye that she was bouncing up and down in her seat.

"You girls are going to have a fantastic time!" My father exclaimed. "I've heard her sing before, and she is amazing!" Finally, my father parked in the parking lot. "This is the Easter Building, where your mother and I work. Now remember girls, don't talk to strangers, and don't wander. I will be here to pick you up at precisely six thirty."

"Dad, I'm fifteen," I muttered, reminding him. "I can handle myself and Ami."

"You're getting so old…" My father whispered. "Well, I'll see you two girls later!"

"BYE DADDY!" Ami called, blowing him kisses. I waved, getting out of the car. My father blew us kisses embarrassingly, and drove away. Ami grabbed my hand, and grinned. "Let's go, sissy!" Sighing, I walked forward, entering the Easter Building. It was quite large, to my dismay. The hallways were long and wide, and each door had a different name on it, evidently for a different artist.

"Excuse me, where is the concert for Utau Hoshina?" I asked an employee who happened to be walking by.

"Ah, it's just down this hallway, to the left. You won't miss it." He smiled at us, as we continued walking forward. I led us to the left, and sure enough, found a large room with the door opened. I handed the man at the door our tickets, and he gestured for us to sit at seats close to the front.

"YAY THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!" Ami exclaimed.

"I'm sure it will be," I agreed. Many more people filed into the room. It was not a large room. There was a stage-like area in the front, and a couple of fold-up chairs surrounding it. A curtain was hung up at the back of the stage. A microphone stand was in the center of the stage. Suddenly, the lights dimmed. Ami gripped my hand in excitement.

"It's starting!" She hissed.

"Shh!" I scolded. A red-haired woman made her way to the center of the stage. She smiled at the audience surrounding her.

"Welcome everyone. My name is Yukari Sanjou, and I am the manager of the star of the night." Many peopled applauded. "Utau Hoshina is a new artist, hoping to be successful. With the generosity and aid of Easter, her single 'Meikyuu Butterfly' has become a national hit. Now, we shall welcome Utau to the stage, and hear this magnificent song firsthand!" Many people applauded again, prompting me to remove my hand from Ami's, and join. Yukari Sanjou exited the stage, and the entire room turned pitch black. Music began playing, sounding very dramatic. A blue light shined on the stage, and took the form of butterfly wings. In the middle of the wings, a figure stepped out, and revealed her presence. I recognized the face from the poster at the mall. She had extremely long blonde pigtails that extended quite far. She had purple-colored eyes, which were surprisingly beautiful. She wore a cerulean-colored dress that extended just below her knees. She stepped forward, and took the mic from the stand, and began singing the song, Meikyuu Butterfly.

Utau's voice was absolutely stunning. Her voice could suddenly be low, and then hit high notes. The way she switched from notes was magnificent. She even had this impeccable stage presence that made it impossible to look away even if you wanted to. To say that she wasn't amazing would be an immense lie. When she ended the song, the stage turned completely black, and the applause became quite loud. Numerous people stood up, giving her a standing ovation. Feeling awkward, I stood up as well. I was absolutely amazed by her. How could someone be so talented?!

"Amu, we have to meet her!" Ami exclaimed, dragging my hand.

"Ami, we can't just-" Ami continued dragging me out of the room. Fortunately, others were leaving as well. Ami continued running forward, until we came across a room, reading Utau Hoshina. It must have been her locker room. Before I could stop her, Ami ran up to the door, and knocked eagerly on it. "Ami!" I exclaimed. The doorknob turned, revealing Utau's manager, Yukari.

"Can I help you?" She asked, her glasses glistening in the light from the hallway.

"I want to meet Utau! I want her autograph!" Ami exclaimed.

"Sorry about her, she's, um, just…"

"Of course you can meet her." Both of us looked at Yukari, dismayed. "I assume you girls are connected to the company?"

"Yeah, our parents work here. Midori and Tsumugu Hinamori?"

"Ah yes, they're new around here. Your father is quite the photographer, and your mother writes beautiful articles. Well, you can come in." I walked in, with Ami following me. I looked around, amazed. I had never been inside a star's locker room before. I remembered my old friend, Yua ranting to me what her locker room would look like when she became a successful singer.

"Who are these girls, Sanjou-San?" I heard a voice ask. It was interesting, hearing Utau's speaking voice. Ami's eyes sparkled upon seeing her.

"Oh, these girls are the daughters of Tsumugu Hinamori, your photographer." Utau turned to us, studying us.

"I'm Ami Hinamori," My sister spat. "Can I have your autograph?!" Utau watched her for a moment, before grabbing a piece of paper, and scribbling something onto it. She handed Ami the slip of paper. Ami squealed in excitement. "THANK YOU SO MUCH! UTAU IS MY NEW IDOL!" Utau did not smile, as she glanced up at me. She was staring at something in particular; the lock I was wearing.

"So, you're the one that he mentioned…" Utau studied me closely.

"Uh, what?" Ami was paying no attention, distracted by the signature in her hand. "Who mentioned me to you?" Utau ignored my question. She stepped closer to me, and lifted the lock, examining it.

"I remember when he first got that," She whispered. "Whatever." She looked at me in the eye. "It's a pleasure to meet you…"

"Amu. Amu Hinamori," I interjected. "Y-You were really good by the way." She didn't thank me or comment on my compliment.

"I'll be seeing more of you. Someone like you doesn't go unnoticed." I was going to inquire further, when my phone rang. I noticed the time, which was six thirty-six. Cursing under my breath, I picked up the phone.

"We're coming Dad!" I informed him, hanging up. I waved to Utau and her manager, and dragged Ami out of the room. We went to meet our father, and drove home.

"GUESS WHAT DADDY?! I GOT A SIGNATURE!" Ami exclaimed. As Ami rambled on and on about the concert, I thought about my brief conversation with Utau. She seemed to act peculiar when she saw the lock. What did she mean by seeing more of me? Did she know about the prophecy as well? I wondered who exactly this Utau Hoshina was.

* * *

**Yay, we finally met Utau! As you can evidently tell, she will be important throughout this story. Also, I hope you guys enjoyed the twist about Ikuto being a werewolf. Anyhow, please review/alert/favorite. I already have 40 reviews on five chapters, which is a new record for me. Keep it up! **


	7. Sneaking Out

**This chapter is mainly filler, though it contains many important events for later.**

* * *

_I was walking slowly, taking a cautious step in the vast white room. Everything was completely white, walls and floor included. There was literally nothing in the room, except for me. I looked around, looking for the presence of another. Where was I? What is going on? _

_ "You need the key," A voice whispered. I turned around rapidly, unable to find a source of the voice. _

_ "It will open the gate, the gate that mustn't ever be opened. You will break the balance of light and darkness," Another voice continued._

_ "W-What gate?!" To my dismay, a gate stood at the far end of the room. I stepped closer to it, curious and bemused._

_ "Only you have the power to join the two realities, our world, and your mortal world," A third voice told me. _

_ "What…Who are you?!" _

_ "Take a chance, Amu Hinamori. Find the key, and open the gate. See what happens. Find the key." All three voices spoke in unison. Many other voices joined them, before they echoed louder and louder. They became so loud, that my head began to hurt. I screamed, unable to take it anymore._

* * *

I immediately sat up from my bed, sweating profusely. I was breathing rapidly, unable to process what had just occurred. To my surprise, my door swung open, revealing my mother and father.

"Amu, are you alright?!" My mother exclaimed. My father was holding a baseball bat. I turned to face him, completely confused.

"Y-Yeah… Dad, why are you holding a baseball bat?"

"We thought there might be an intruder. We heard you screaming," My father pointed out. "I needed to take precautionary measures!"

"Well… I'm fine," I muttered. "I-It was just a bad dream, that's all."

"Try to go back to sleep; it's only three in the morning," My mother suggested. I nodded slowly, watching my parents leave the room. I took a deep breath. It had been a week since I last encountered Utau Hoshina. Well, technically a week and a day. Ever since then, I had this uncanny feeling someone was watching me. That feeling returned, as I looked around, searching for something. I decided to ignore it, and instead, directed my thoughts to the dream. What was that? It was definitely a change of pace from the familiar "soon" dreams. Did it mean something? Was it just a dream? No, I knew that it couldn't have merely been a dream. I soon remembered the prophecy Nadeshiko had previously told me about. I looked at my phone and into the notes app where I had it written down.

_One girl who travels from afar will be the one to join two realities that should never intersect. She will have immense power that cannot be fathomed or controlled. She is the fate of the world, the one who can either protect it or destroy it._

In my dream, the voices had spoken of two realities. How was this connected to the prophecy? All of this never ceased to baffle me.

"Hm, I figured you were the one of the prophecy." I jumped, completely surprised by the voice. I turned, seeing someone who I did not expect to be in my room.

"…Utau Hoshina?!" I exclaimed, completely dismayed and puzzled. She wore her blonde hair in pigtails, just like how she did at the concert. She was wearing a red sleeveless shirt with a leather jacket over it. She also wore tight black leggings, with tall red boots on. "What are you doing in my room!? How do you even know where I live?!"

"I have my sources," Utau muttered. I raised an eyebrow.

"Well, why are you in my room at three in the morning?!"

"I was curious about you. I wanted to see if my speculation about you was correct, about the prophecy. Ikuto seemed pretty convinced you were, so I wanted to take a look for myself."

"Wait, you know Ikuto?!" Utau smirked.

"More than simply know him. He's my-" A loud roar interrupted her. Both of us turned toward the window, and exchanged glances.

"I presume you know a thing or two about demons?" Utau wondered, tossing me a dagger. I fumbled with it in my hands, eventually dropping it. Utau watched me, seemingly holding back laughter. I frowned at her, picking up the dagger.

"Yeah, I've been caught up," I admitted.

"Well, get dressed. We're going demon hunting."

"Wait, what?! I-I can't just sneak out at three in the morning!" I exclaimed. "My parents would notice!"

"You'll be back before you're supposed to wake up for school," Utau promised. "Besides, who gives a crap about rules?" Sighing, I quickly changed into a random outfit, which consisted of a random green shirt with a short denim skirt. I put on sneakers, and followed Utau to the balcony, hesitantly. I hardly even knew anything about Utau, and here I was, following her to go "demon hunting." All I knew was that she was a talented singer and somehow connected to Ikuto.

"Ready?" Utau wondered, leaping off of the balcony.

"Uh…what?!" I leaned over the balcony, seeing Utau landing firmly on her feet. She rolled her eyes at me. I shivered slightly, slightly regretting my choice of outfit in the cool night of winter.

"Just jump," Utau told me. Nervously, I stepped over the balcony. I stood on the other side, my feet on the rims on the balcony. I eventually lost my balance, and fell, back first, to the ground. I gasped, knowing I was going to fall on the ground. To my dismay, I was suddenly caught. I found myself looking into Ikuto's eyes.

"Ikuto… what are you doing here?"

"I heard the same roar you did," Ikuto pointed out. "Besides, I needed to make sure Utau wasn't getting herself into trouble."

"IKUTO!" Utau exclaimed, dashing over to him. I was completely stunned by her sudden exuberance. Utau did not strike me as someone who was so loud. I thought of her as someone who was reckless but calm more or less. I would have never guessed she could possess such loud energy similar to Yaya.

"Utau, geez, you don't need to be so loud," Ikuto muttered. "You just saw me."

"But I'm happy to see you!" She exclaimed happily. The sudden change of character surprised me. She embraced him tightly.

"Utau, I'm losing circulation of blood in my body," Ikuto grumbled.

"Circulation is overrated."

"Utau let go of me! We have to find the demon quickly."

"Can't you just kiss me once?" Utau puckered her lips. Ikuto frowned at her. I wondered if they were boyfriend and girlfriend. It seemed like Utau was some obsessed girlfriend, and Ikuto got annoyed quickly.

"No, Utau. I'm your brother; that's just weird." My eyes widened. They were siblings?! I stared at them. They looked nothing alike. Utau had bright blonde hair, whereas Ikuto had midnight blue hair. Utau had extremely pale skin, whereas Ikuto was more tan-colored. Also, they had different last names. "Besides, Amu's standing here awkwardly." Utau looked at me, sighing. She let go of Ikuto, her arms crossed. The three of us walked forward, in an attempt to find the demon.

"Utau, how long were you in my room?" I asked suddenly.

"Not long," She admitted. "I noticed you screaming after your dream. You looked mortified." Something dawned on me at that moment. I remembered Ikuto telling me that a lock needed to be opened by a key. Was that related to the key mentioned in my dream?

"Dreams?" Ikuto inquired.

"I've been having these strange dreams," I explained. I described this latest one. A part of me wondered why I was trusting them. Tadase had strictly told me to stay away from Ikuto. I remembered the guardians' reaction to Utau when I uttered her name that one time. The siblings exchanged a glance.

"It must be connected to the key," Utau pointed out.

"It definitely is," Ikuto agreed. "We haven't seen it in years, not since…" They both fell silent. Again, I was completely puzzled. "Amu, you're a part of the guardians. I'm sure he has access to it."

"She's a guardian now?!" Utau exclaimed, looking shocked. I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah…?"

"Well, you might be able to find out more about the dream if Tadase-" A loud noise interrupted Ikuto. All three of us turned, facing a large demon. Utau lifted a giant spear, while Ikuto swung a scythe. I lifted the puny dagger Utau had given me, feeling insignificant compared to them. While Ikuto and Utau battled against the demon, I watched helplessly. I soon remembered Kukai telling me about the dagger, how I'm supposed to throw it instead of swing it. I lifted my arm, and swung my wrist rapidly. The dagger went flying into the demon, and suddenly it turned a purple-like color.

"Good job," Ikuto complimented me. I beamed.

"Why is it turning purple?" I asked, confused.

"The dagger I gave you has some enchanted poison on it," Utau explained. "Upon throwing it, it latches on to the target and poisons them. I was given it by…someone." Utau's eyes darkened for a moment.

"Demons turn purple when poisoned," Ikuto further explained. "Elemental demons are particularly sensitive to poison, hence the elemental demon we just faced."

"Guys, watch out!" Utau exclaimed. Both of us turned, facing a human-like creature. Unlike a typical human, he had fangs and a slightly contorted face.

"Vampire," Ikuto muttered nonchalantly. He glanced at Utau, who simply nodded.

"Isn't it a bit late for you?" Utau taunted. "The sun is going to rise in merely a few hours." The vampire grunted.

"What can I say? I live on the edge," To my dismay, the vampire replied. He turned to face me, his fangs baring. "You're the one that they're looking for!" I noticed Utau reach in her pocket for something.

"Who's looking for me?!" I wondered. Before the vampire could reply, he suddenly turned to dust. Behind the dust revealed Utau, who was holding a pointed stake.

"A stake through the heart; it's the simple way of killing a vampire," Utau explained, putting the stake back in her pocket. I watched, as the two siblings shrunk their weapons magically, and put them in their pockets. It reminded of how Nadeshiko shrunk her weapon the other day at the mall. Utau turned to face Ikuto. "I presume he was sent by them?"

"Most likely," Ikuto agreed. "It seems they're becoming more formidable. I wonder how well the guardians will handle them." I watched the two of them in confusion.

"Damn the stupid company…" Utau shook her head.

"Oh, Utau, here is your dagger back." I handed her the dagger. She watched it for a moment, shaking her head slowly.

"You should keep it," She urged. "I prefer to fight with the spear."

"Are you sure?" I looked at her surprised. She shrugged.

"You don't seem like you would do well with a large weapon, so I'm sure a small dagger would work well for you." I thanked her, putting it in my pocket. I checked my watch, seeing it was slightly past four.

"I should head back," I muttered. "I have school today."

"Right, it's Monday," Ikuto realized. "I haven't focused on days of the week in a long time. I only knew for the moon schedules." The three of us walked back to my house.

"Um, I might need some help getting up there," I admitted shyly. Utau rolled her eyes at me, as Ikuto picked me up in his arms and placed me on the balcony. "Thanks Ikuto." Utau watched enviously.

"Not a problem." Ikuto faced me, a smirk forming on his face. "Say, Amu?"

"What is it?" I asked. To my surprise, he crept closer to me, his lips inches away from my ear. I felt a chill run through me, when his breath touched my skin.

"See you soon." I was almost surprised that he uttered something so simple. I had no idea what I was expecting him to say, but it most certainly wasn't that. He backed away slightly, chuckling slightly. "Geez, your face is so red. You are so simple to tease." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"S-Shut up," I grumbled. He gave me a final smirk, before hopping over the balcony and landing beside his displeased sister. She shot me a frown, before walking away with her brother. I went back inside, closing the balcony door behind me. It was only four thirty in the morning. I figured it was pointless to attempt to sleep again, so I showered early and prepared for school early in the morning. Finally, three hours passed, and it was appropriate to leave for school.

"Amu, you got ready awfully quickly," My father noted, driving the car.

"Yeah, I couldn't go back to sleep," I admitted, concealing the full truth. I wasn't going to tell my father that I snuck out early in the morning with a semi-famous singer and her older brother. Besides, that would prompt me to explain demons and vampires, and there was no way I would do that now.

* * *

Finally, my father pulled up outside Seiyo High. I stepped out of the car, and waved to my father and Ami. I rubbed my eyes, feeling slightly tired from my lack of sleep. I went to my locker as normal, and went inside the classroom. Ugh, I was so not in the mood to deal with World History. Fortunately, Nikaidou-Sensei was teaching, so it was likely he would forget his lesson. Unfortunately, today was one of those seldom days he knew what he was doing.

"I'm going to need a volunteer to help me demonstrate." Not one person in the room lifted their hand. I gulped, hoping he didn't pick me.

"I think Amu wants to go," A voice beside me muttered. I turned to face Saaya Yamabuki, blushing slightly. How could she just spit out my name like that?! Then again, for the three weeks I have attended this school so far, I knew that Saaya was the opposite of considerate.

"Oh, alright Himamori-San." Nikaidou watched me, as I shyly made my way to the front of the room, ignoring Saaya and her friends' snickers.

"It's, um, Hinamori…" I mumbled. He appeared to ignore me.

"Alright, so, stand here." I complied, moving toward where he instructed me. "I'll need two more volunteers." He glanced around the room, seeing a lack of volunteers. "Yamabuki-San, Kirishima-San, you two make your way up here." Saaya grunted, standing beside me grudgingly. Kirishima stood on the other side of me, looking slightly awkward. I didn't know too much about him, but I knew that his first name was Fuyuki, and he was on the basketball team. He also seemed to be attracted to Nadeshiko.

"Yamabuki-San, you are the Central Countries during World War I," Nikaidou told her. I smirked slightly, considering they were normally deemed as the villains. "Kirishima-San, you are the Allies." There were some chants in the room. "And Himamori-San, you are neutral. You represent the countries that break the boundaries of both sides. The United States originally kept neutral, until 1917…" Nikaidou began talking about World War I, which prompted me to stop paying attention. History was not exactly the most interesting class.

Eventually, the class ended, and I left to go to Health. That class was quite awkward, considering we were learning about sex. Normally, I would have been fine with the sex unit, except for the fact that Tadase was in my class and sat beside me, along with some of his fan-girls.

The day progressed as normal, until lunch finally came along. Since I forgot to pack lunch, I decided to buy something. Nadeshiko went on line with me to keep me company.

"Hey Hinamori-Chan!" I heard a voice call. I turned, and saw the four girls I previously sat at lunch with. I waved at them, and Nadeshiko gave them smiles. They looked completely stunned and pleased, as they bought their lunches.

"Are you friends with them?" Nadeshiko asked, as we moved up in line.

"Well, sort of. I mean, they invited me to their table on the first day before I really knew anyone. They're definitely nice."

"They definitely are," Nadeshiko agreed. "I would be closer with them, though they idolize me slightly, and treat me as if I am higher. You're sure lucky you still get an earthly image." I paid for my lunch, which was a ham and cheese sandwich, and smiled at Nadeshiko.

"Well, you are pretty cool Nade," I admitted. "I mean, how on earth did you manage to get that Math question last period?"

"It was a trick question. You had to know what you were looking for," Nadeshiko explained.

"Well, I still don't think you needed to get it. You already had a 100 on that test, and now you have extra credit. So, yeah, you're pretty cool." Nadeshiko looked at the ground shyly.

"Well… You did well on the test too Amu-Chan. A ninety-six is pretty commendable." I beamed, as we made our way to the Royal Garden to eat our lunch.

"Oh, hey guys!" Kukai called, as we entered. His mouth was stuffed with food. He grinned at Nadeshiko, and then turned to me. His face turned slightly red, as he quickly worked to swallow the food. I giggled slightly, and waved to him and Tadase. Tadase smiled brightly at us, prompting me to blush slightly.

"Last night, there was an elemental demon that appeared to be dead. It seemed to be poisoned. Did any of you cast a poisoning spell, or maybe Yaya did?" I gulped, remembering this morning's events with Ikuto and Utau.

"It wasn't me," Kukai pointed out. "But, why are we talking about this now? This isn't a guardian meeting! Relax! We need Yaya!"

"That is peculiar," Nadeshiko agreed, ignoring Kukai's statement. "Say, Kukai, didn't you used to have that poison dagger? The one you and Yaya made together?" Kukai's iconic grin faded.

"Well… yeah, but I gave it away some time ago," He admitted. I opened my bag, and glanced in, seeing the dagger. Was this the one that Kukai and Nadeshiko were talking about? How did Utau manage to get her hands on it then? I glanced back up at Kukai. Did he give it to Utau? I remembered the conversation between Ikuto and Tadase, evidently informing me that they had history together. Since Utau was Ikuto's sister, it was obvious Tadase had a connection to her. I remembered Nadeshiko telling me at the mall about her and the other guardians. So, they all had a history with Utau and Ikuto.

"Amu?" I snapped out of my thoughts, facing my three friends.

"Ah, uh, sorry… I was thinking about something. What were you saying?"

"Class is starting soon, so we better get inside," Nadeshiko informed me. I nodded, following my friends out of the Royal Garden. Kukai waved to me, as I followed Nadeshiko and Tadase to French.

Finally, school ended, so I got all of my necessary books, and headed outside. On my way out, I heard someone shout my name. I turned, facing Kukai. He grinned at me, catching up.

"What's up?" I wondered.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Kukai told me. "Can we go somewhere, um, private?" I nodded, following Kukai. We walked over to a large lake, which was somewhat near the Royal Garden.

"Wow, I didn't even know this existed!" I exclaimed, gazing at it. It was quite large, and almost sparkled under the sun.

"Yeah, I go here sometimes after Soccer practice to cool down." Once you got to know Kukai, it was quite obvious he was a jock, though not the stereotypical one. He was quite into sports, specifically soccer. "H-Hey Amu…"

"Yeah?" I looked up at him, and to my bemusement, he was glancing at the ground nervously. He was completely crimson in the face.

"Well, I've been wanting to say this to you for a bit now, and I've been thinking about how to for some time. However, if you know a thing about me, it's that I'm pretty direct, so I'm just going to say it." He took a deep breath. "Amu Hinamori, I like you." It took me embarrassingly long to realize what he was saying. My face turned scarlet.

"You mean, like, _like _like?" Oh god, did I really just say that? How old was I?! Kukai stared at me for about five seconds, before exploding into a fit of laughter. My face turned redder, as he continuously laughed. I felt like such an idiot at that moment.

"Oh Amu that was…" He burst into more laughter.

"It's not that funny," I murmured, embarrassed. He continued cackling at me, worsening my embarrassment.

"That was great." He composed himself, biting his lip to keep from laughing further. "Well, yeah, I do _like_ like you." His attempt to stifle his laughter failed immensely.

"Ha-ha, well…" I looked at the ground. "What does this mean now?" He stopped laughing, but his cheesy grin remained intact.

"Do you want to go out with me Amu? Also, would you like to attend the dance with me?" He seemed slightly shy, which was certainly a change of pace for him. I gulped nervously. No one had ever asked me out before, or even expressed any interest in me before. I looked at Kukai. He was definitely attractive, and really funny and kind. I knew he would never let me live my reaction to his confession down, but still, I did enjoy being in his company. I briefly thought about Tadase. I did have a crush on him, but despite what Nadeshiko told me, I did not really think anything would happen there. Besides, I really did like Kukai.

"I-I would love to," I whispered shyly. I wondered what my father's reaction would be to me dating a guy. I shuddered at the thought. Maybe I would tell my mother, but definitely not him. Kukai smiled sincerely, unlike his normal grin, and took my hand.

"Great! Oh, we have to tell the guardians! I've been telling Yaya I was going to do this, but I don't think she actually believed me." He scratched the back of his head. "Ehehe, come on!" With my hand still in his, he began jogging, dragging me behind him.

"Kukai!" I moaned, not used to running at his insane speed. He turned to face me, grinning, before continuing to run forward. "Is this what a normal couple does?!" I giggled slightly, upon using the word couple. God, I was so immature.

"Screw normal couples! We're going to be a weird couple, Amu, with some normal stuff mixed in. Besides, what normal couple fights demons?" I couldn't argue with that. Finally, we arrived at the Royal Garden. Kukai let go of my hand, leaving me to pant heavily.

"This relationship is going to be interesting," I mumbled, still feeling a sense of joy upon saying relationship.

"Say Amu, did you like that, or _like_ like that?" He laughed again. I frowned.

"Not funny!" I moaned, as we entered the Royal Garden. Kukai grinned sheepishly, waving at the others.

"LATE!" Yaya announced. I rolled my eyes at her, but Kukai continued to grin.

"Hey guys, guess what?"

"What is it Kukai?" Tadase wondered. I ignored the flutter of my heart upon hearing his voice. I was dating Kukai now! I still could not fathom the truth of that statement. Me and Kukai, dating? Me dating anyone?! It seemed so foreign, yet I was now in my very first relationship. Me, Amu Hinamori, managed to date someone?!

"I just asked Amu out!" He grinned, putting his arm around my shoulders. "And she accepted!" Yaya stood up, and began bouncing up and down, clapping.

"YAY!" Yaya squealed, hugging me tightly. "Amu-Chi, you're like Yaya's sister now!" I blushed slightly.

"W-We're not married," I muttered.

"I'm happy for you two. It's been a while since Kukai has dated, and it's good for him. Plus, I could see you two together," Tadase pointed out. Kukai glanced at the ground for a moment. I found it slightly heartbreaking that Tadase said that.

"Congratulations guys!" Nadeshiko told us. "Kukai, you better not put Amu into any danger." She gave Kukai a menacing look.

"Geez Nade, I wouldn't do that!" Kukai exclaimed. "Why are you so protective of Amu all of a sudden? She's my date after all." I blushed again.

"Well, I just know you oh so well Kukai, and I know you are quite careless." Kukai scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. Nadeshiko turned to look at me, smiling. I smiled back at her. Yaya finally let go of me, and looked at Kukai.

"Kukai, now that you have a girlfriend, does that mean you're abandoning Yaya?" Girlfriend?! That was awfully quick! We haven't even gone a single date. Even Kukai seemed slightly taken aback by Yaya's choice of words.

"Of course not!" Kukai exclaimed. "I may be dating Amu now, but that doesn't mean that I'll spend any less time with you!" He ruffled her hair. "You're still my lil' sis. Don't you remember? I was still really close to you when I was with…" He stopped himself short, and sighed. Clearly, Kukai had been with someone else before me. I wonder what that girl was like. I hoped he wouldn't compare me to her in his mind.

After doing some training simulations, I decided I should go home. Before leaving, Kukai hugged me, causing me to turn bright red, Yaya to mock us incessantly, and Nadeshiko to smirk and wink at me. I frowned at both of them, and continued home, with a corny grin plastered upon my face. Suddenly, I was in quite a good mood.

"I'm home!" I called, arriving at my house.

"YAY SISSY!" Ami screamed, hugging me tightly. I sighed, pushing her off. I smiled at my mother. I knew I probably should tell her about Kukai. After all, she would probably want to know. She could be awfully strict, but when it came to boys, she was better than my father.

"Hey Mom, can we talk alone?" My mother turned to me, cocking her head. She followed me to her room.

"Ami, I know you're eavesdropping," I muttered.

"Aw man!" Ami whined. I heard her footsteps scurry away. I sighed, turning to face my mother. She looked at me, concern etched upon her face.

"Is something the matter? You hardly ever wish to speak to me," My mother noted. I took a deep breath.

"No, it's fine. I… Today, this guy asked me out, and, um, I just thought you should know…" My mother's concern altered to excitement.

"What did you say?!" She wondered.

"Well, I said yes… There's this school dance next week, and he's taking me."

"I'm so happy for you Amu!" My mother smiled. "I'm sure you don't want me to tell your father right away?"

"No!" I exclaimed. My mother laughed. I left her room, and went to my own, thinking. I wondered what it would be like to date Kukai. He seemed really cool and sweet. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. I had forgotten to tell the guardians about my dream, yet I told Ikuto and Utau. I promised myself that I would tell them tomorrow, and allowed my thoughts to divert back to Kukai. Smiling to myself, I fell to my pillow after changing into my nightgown, and drifted to sleep.

* * *

**I know the description implies Amuto is the main pairing here, and I promise, you will get Amuto and Tadamu later. This whole Kukamu pairing is important for certain events to move forward, so here you go. I have an important announcement to make as well. I'm leaving for vacation on the ninth (Friday) and coming home on the eighteenth, so I will not be updating from that time. It is likely that this is my last update of this story before I go away. I promise you all though, once I get back, I'll be updating rapidly as usual, until school starts. Anyhow, you all know the drill; review, review, review (oh, and that favorite/alert thing is nice too).  
**


	8. Sleepover

**I'm home from vacation. Actually, I got home Sunday, but I updated a different story first, and also got distracted with the game Final Fantasy VI (which is extremely addicting). Anyhow, without further ado, I present to you the longest chapter of this story thus far (over 6000 words everyone; brace yourselves!). I own nothing, and enjoy! Pay close attention; I have dropped numerous hints for later events.**

* * *

I swear, the rest of that week, I had a cheesy smile plastered upon my face that I could not remove. I was entirely sure that my sudden euphoria was quite blatant, and I was quite self-conscious of it. However, that feeling only pestered on every time my phone vibrated in my bag. Each time, I felt a flutter in my stomach, as I happily read the name of the source of the text message. Anytime I had contact with the name Kukai Souma, or the person himself, I felt this happiness. I knew I was acting like some annoying teenager who was in some corny relationship, but quite honestly, I could not be happier. This was the first time I had ever been in a relationship, and it happened to be with a really sweet and even popular guy.

"God Amu, you're so freaking cute," The boy who possessed my mind pointed out. It was Friday, and yet, I found myself at the Royal Garden on school property. Involuntarily, my face turned bright scarlet.

"W-Why do you say that?" I mumbled. Nadeshiko giggled slightly, seeing my flustered state. I frowned at her, and she simply smirked.

"You just have this extremely irresistible smile on your face," Kukai observed, watching me. I felt really paranoid; was my hair neat enough? "I mean, not to be cocky or anything, but I'm pretty sure I'm the luckiest guy. Although whatever guys manage to steal the hearts of Yaya and Nade are pretty lucky as well." I noticed Nadeshiko pale slightly.

"You're teasing me, aren't you?" I muttered. "You want me to get flustered."

"Well, it _is_ extremely cute." He leaned his face on his fist. My face was probably as red as an apple at this point. I realized that his teasing was similar to Ikuto. Both of them sought pleasure in making me blush and get embarrassed. I shook my thoughts away quickly; why would I compare Ikuto to Kukai?

"Uh, Kukai? Can't you save your flirting for later? We really need to get Hinamori-San started on some training simulations. Whatever these dreams mean, we really need to focus building up her strength just in case," Tadase explained. Nope, I wouldn't let his serenading voice get to me. Too late. Fortunately, my immense blush from Kukai's comment could not turn any redder. I had told everyone about my dream that other night. Unfortunately, no one was able to devise a theory or have any idea what it meant. I had contemplated bringing up the key that Ikuto had hinted at, but I decided against it. I remembered Tadase's warning, and it seemed unwise to fill him in on my affiliations with Ikuto and Utau, whatever those affiliations even were.

"But flirting's fun!" Kukai whined, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. Again, I blushed. Why was it so easy for me to blush?

"AWWW THEY'RE SO CUTE!" Yaya exclaimed loudly, making a heart with her fingers. I lowered my eyes.

"M-Maybe Tadase-Kun is right," I agreed. "Not that I mind the flirting of course!" I amended quickly. Kukai grinned at me, removing his arm. Tadase turned to face Nadeshiko, who merely nodded.

"You've been improving lately, Amu," Nadeshiko noted. "So, I'm going to set you up with a harder simulation this time." I gulped. "You've been doing well with throwing daggers, so I suggest you should use that. However, I think I have the perfect weapon for you if that doesn't work." She winked. I followed Nadeshiko to the basement, with the others following us. She walked over to a computer, and typed something in. I held a dagger I had been borrowing. It was quite similar to the poisonous one Utau had given me, but without the poison.

Suddenly, a hologram surrounded me, giving me the image of some grass land. I looked around, searching for the demon. There was a lake nearby, with some round stones and lush grass. One of the stones seemed slightly out of place, but I didn't pay much mind to it.

"Where is the demon?" I asked.

"You'll find it," Nadeshiko promised me. "Just keep your eyes opened." I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Suddenly, the uncanny stone started growing, until it revealed a tall purple demon. It had piercing yellow eyes that made me gulp. I gasped, surprised by its sudden appearance. I grabbed the dagger rapidly, and attempted to toss it, but missed entirely.

"It's just a flick of the wrist!" Kukai reminded me. I stifled the smile that tried to form on my face, hearing his voice.

"The demon is called a Shifter Demon," Nadeshiko proceeded to explain. It continued to study me keenly. "It has the ability to take on any form it so desires. Do not be deceived by its apparent image Amu; it is nearly impossible to see its true form." Great, so this was the simulation? I was fighting against a demon that could change forms? That would be difficult. I pulled out another dagger from my bag, and threw it at the demon. It would have been a good throw, except that the demon had altered forms again, and I had no idea where it was now.

"Look for anything out of place, Hinamori-San," Tadase suggested. I glanced around, searching desperately. Where was this Shifter Demon? Suddenly, I became alert to an isolated tree. I smirked inwardly, and tossed the dagger at said tree. To my dismay, it cried out, and turned into the previous demon I had seen.

"Yay Amu-Chi!" Yaya chanted. I smiled, as the simulation ended and revealed everyone in front of me, who all gave me smiles.

"That was impressive!" Kukai pointed out.

"Thanks!" I smiled. Tadase and Nadeshiko smiled at me as well.

"You really are getting the hang of this. I'll introduce you to the other weapon next week," Nadeshiko told me. I nodded, smiling. Finally, the guardian meeting ended. Before leaving, I gave a quick hug to Kukai, prompting Yaya to whistle loudly. I waved to Yaya and Tadase, and walked home with Nadeshiko as I usually did.

"Amu, I have a question for you." I looked at Nadeshiko curiously. "Well, it's been a long time since I've had a sleepover. You know Yaya; she isn't the best to have a sleepover with, and you know the problem with sleeping over with Tadase and Kukai." She sighed. "Plus, I really do like you and want to get close to you. So, would you like to sleepover tomorrow?"

"I would love to!" I exclaimed, a bit louder than intended. "I can't wait to see your house Nade. I'll have to confirm with my parents, but I'm sure I can."

"Great! I can't wait. I have some plans earlier in the morning, but you could come over at five maybe?" I nodded. Once we arrived at my house, I bid her farewell, and went inside. I sat down at the dinner table to have dinner with my family.

"Amu, how is _Kukai_, and the rest of your friends?" My mother asked. I looked at my pasta awkwardly, eating it so no one else in the family would notice my blush.

"They're good," I replied.

"Who is this Kukai? Is he a boy?!" My mother had the evilest smirk on her face that I didn't even know was possible. This was my strict mother; not a woman who taunted her daughter with a boy she was seeing!

"He is a male human," I pointed out, wanting desperately to switch the topic.

"NO!" My father exclaimed.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Ami asked, a smirk on her face. My face betrayed me, deciding it was opportune to blush profusely.

"What?! Nope, of course not. I am single. Ha. Ha. Ha…" I could immediately tell no one believed my lie. My father had this look of pure horror struck upon his face.

"My baby girl is seeing a boy?! I'M WORTHLESS; I'M RUNNING AWAY!" At that moment, my father rose from his seat, and ran to the bathroom. Ami burst out in laughter. I buried my face in my hands.

"SISSY AND KUKAI! AMU AND KUKAI SITTING IN A TREE, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES-"

"Ami, shut up!" I whined. I sighed dramatically, and shook my head at my mother. She laughed at me. "Hey Mom, by the way, my friend wanted me to sleep over tomorrow, so am I able to?"

"Is that friend a boy?!" My father wondered from the bathroom.

"No, Nadeshiko is definitely a girl!" I yelled back to him. I rolled my eyes, and turned back to my mother. "Please?"

"Of course. Have a good time. But Amu, if this is covering up sleeping at Kukai's house…"

"MOM!" I exclaimed, horrified. My mother smiled. I got up from the table, putting my dishes in the sink, and went to my room. My family was so weird. How was I even born into the Hinamori family? I clearly didn't fit in. I almost regretted telling them about Kukai, though it wasn't my fault I told my sister and my father about him. I changed into pajamas, and collapsed on my bed. I was so ready to sleep. Unfortunately, the world didn't seem to like me relaxing, as I heard a knock on my window suddenly. I opened my eyes, only to spot a midnight blue-haired werewolf. I groaned loudly, and motioned for him to come in. Of course, the balcony window was locked, so that prompted me to actually move and open it.

"Someone is certainly blushing, and I haven't even come yet," Ikuto noted, sitting on my bed. I crossed my arms, sitting beside him.

"My family was just harassing me about a boy I'm seeing," I muttered, wondering why I told Ikuto so casually I was seeing someone. Ikuto raised an eyebrow, seeming slightly surprised.

"You're dating someone?" He wondered. I nodded slowly. "I was certain you had a crush on me." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Not in your wildest dreams, Ikuto. I still hardly know you, and besides, you're really old," I pointed out. Ikuto chuckled.

"It's only a five year difference," He pointed out.

"Are _you_ interested in _me_?" I wondered, looking at him surprised. Ikuto turned to me.

"Depends how you define interested. I'm certainly interested in you from a standpoint of knowing what powers you possess, but that's where I draw the line. I don't want to pursue a relationship with anyone. I'm not one for commitment." For some arbitrary reason, my heart dropped. "So, who's this guy you're with?"

"He goes to school with me and he's a year older," I explained.

"So, you _do_ like older guys." I frowned. "What's his name? I went to Seiyo High too, and if he's a year older than you, he's only two years younger than Utau."

"He's a guardian actually; his name is Kukai Souma." Ikuto's smirk vanished. I watched his expression, bemused. Since all of the guardians seemed to be connected with Ikuto and Utau, it seemed obvious that they had at least known each other.

"What…a coincidence. They were so close; I didn't think he would actually move on. Good for him…" Ikuto's eyes darkened.

"What is it?" I wondered. "You know Kukai?"

"More or less." He shrugged, standing up. "He's a good boyfriend."

"Wait…" My eyes widened prompted Ikuto to chuckle.

"No, I didn't date him, if that's what you're wondering. I may not be interested in relationships, but I have gone on dates, and all of them were with girls." He walked over to the balcony. "Catch you later Amu." I watched, as he elegantly hopped down. That was peculiar. All of these connections that my friends seemed to have really confused me. Wait, did I just admit to Ikuto being my friend? Before I could think anymore, I felt myself drift to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, without having a peculiar dream I remembered, I found myself moving exceptionally slowly. It was the first time I had not remembered my dream in who knew how long. My plans weren't until five, so I could take as long as I wanted. I stretched my arms, and glanced at the clock. It was eleven thirty, which was actually quite late for me. Yawning, I sat up, and decided to go through my daily routine. By the time I showered, brushed my teeth, and got changed into clothes, an hour had passed. I packed up my bag for the sleepover, and went downstairs to eat lunch.

Finally, it was time for me to go to Nadeshiko's house. She had texted me with her address, so my mother offered to drive me there.

"Hm, your friend lives awfully far," My mother noted, seeing the address. "Her house isn't too far from Easter." I nodded slowly, as we passed some buildings. We drove into an area where the city life seemed to dim down. A huge mansion stood firmly in the area, towering over the abundance of land surrounding it.

"Mom, did you get lost?" I wondered. "This doesn't look like Seiyo…"

"The GPS says that this is the address, and that's the house number… Is your friend really wealthy?" I thought about Nadeshiko for a moment. She always did dress nicely, but she always acted so modest that I never was really sure. Besides, I didn't really associate demon fighting with a rich person.

"I-I don't know…"

"Why don't you go knock and see?" I gulped. What if it was the wrong house?! I grabbed my bag that held my necessary items for sleeping over, and waved to my mother. Was this really Nadeshiko's house? I marveled at the immense size of it. The mansion resembled that of which was normally seen in movies. I didn't even know until that moment that mansions this size were actually real or in a semi-average city like Seiyo. Awkwardly, I walked on the perfectly paved pathway, and made my way to the door. Ignoring my hyperventilation, I gently knocked upon the door. The silence was unnerving. Oh god, did I just knock upon a random rich stranger's house?! To my dismay, a woman I had never seen before opened the door, and smiled at me. She wore a yellow-colored kimono and wore her brown hair in a bun.

"Ah, are you the girl the Young Master is expecting?" The Young Master? This was surely the wrong house.

"Uh, I-I…"

"Ah yes, he, err, she spoke of your rose-colored hair." The woman suddenly curtsied. "How impolite of me! I have not even introduced myself. My name is Baaya, and I am the housekeeper of the Fujisaki Manor." The Fujisaki Manor? That sounded so fancy. Then again, this entire situation was pretty fancy. I felt extremely paranoid suddenly.

"I-I'm Amu Hinamori," I muttered shyly.

"It is nice to make of your acquaintance." How was it possible that someone could speak so eloquently?! She curtsied again. "I will go fetch the Young Master." Before Baaya could budge, a familiar violet-haired girl walked beside Baaya, evidently having just finished tying her hair back. She wore a kimono as well, but hers was a lavender color. Her ponytail was tied back by sakura flowers. She smiled upon seeing me. So, this _was_ Nadeshiko's house…

"Amu, it's great to see you!" Nadeshiko smiled. "Come on in." I complied, becoming conscious of my dirty shoes touching the sparkling clean ground. If the outside of the manor looked extraordinary the inside was immaculate. Literally everything was laid impeccably in a spot, with not a single messy area. The house practically sparkled on its own like shown in cartoons. I envied the neatness; I always wanted to be neat, but unfortunately, I was naturally unorganized.

"Nadeshiko-San, you are behind on your dancing," A voice called. I turned, facing a woman about Baaya's age. She also had brown hair, but it was longer than Baaya.

"Yes Mother…" Nadeshiko bowed her head, and then turned to me. "Would you like to watch? It won't be long, I promise."

"Yeah, sure!" It surprised me that Nadeshiko was a dancer. I also had not known that she was wealthy. How much about this girl did I not know? I took a seat at a table, as Nadeshiko made her way onto a stage-like area. She held a small fan that she held in one fan. She began her routine, with a gentle melody playing in the background. To say I wasn't mesmerized would be a vast understatement.

She was extremely talented. She took every step with perfect precision and looked beautiful doing so. I could visibly see how much she truly adored dancing. She must have been dancing for some time to fully excel at it the way she did. I did not know much about dancing, but I did know that she was amazing. It almost reminded me of the way Utau shone during her concert. When Nadeshiko's dance terminated, Baaya clapped her hands together in an elegant manner. I clapped as well. Nadeshiko beamed at us, but it did not seem like either of us were the one she desired to please. She was watching her mother eagerly.

"The switch-and-flip switch was off. You still have ceased to amend your initial problem of literally jumping at the third phase, opposed to simply lifting the back of your feet. You still have much to improve upon." Nadeshiko bowed her head.

"Yes mother," She whispered.

"I expect you to continue practicing tomorrow after your friend leaves." Nadeshiko nodded, and got off of the stage, walking over to me. She gestured for me to move, and I followed her to a private room. I was amazed at the immense size of the hallways. They were quite vast, and I could have easily gotten lost if Nadeshiko didn't guide me.

We walked into a room where two beds were already set up. I sat on one of the beds, noticing it had one of those mattress comforters.

"Is this a guest room?" I wondered. Nadeshiko nodded. "Wow, this is really nice for a guest room!"

"Sometimes we have family from afar that comes to stay here," Nadeshiko explained. "The Fujisaki family is actually quite large, and some relatives of mine live as far as Europe."

"Oh wow… Nade, by the way, I don't really know what your mother was talking about." She looked up at me curiously. "That was absolutely stunning! I admit, I haven't seen much dancing before, but I could tell it was difficult and you succeeded." She chuckled and smiled.

"That means a lot to me; thanks Amu. However, my mother was correct; I was completely off. My steps were all over the place, and my mind was not nearly focused enough. I truly do need to improve." I giggled slightly.

"You're so hard on yourself!" Nadeshiko scratched the back of her head.

"I mean, it's kind of hard not to be when you have a mother with high expectations." I contemplated asking about Nadeshiko's father, but I decided against it. It probably wasn't any of my business anyway.

"Can I see your room?" I asked.

"Oh, of course!" Nadeshiko stood up, and led me to a room nearby. To my dismay, her room was large. The walls were completely bare, and instead painted with a lavender color. The rug was dark purple. She had a queen-sized bed on the back of the room, and some nice furniture surrounding it. She had one photograph in her room I did notice. I glanced at it, seeing a group of people. It was evidently taken a long time ago. I recognized Nadeshiko's purple hair, as she stood beside a young blonde boy, probably Tadase. He had a round face, and I just wanted to squeeze his baby cheeks. Okay, that sounded so weird. Behind them, stood a familiar auburn-haired boy I happened to be dating. Next to them was a young-looking pigtailed girl. I couldn't help but to notice how adorable they all were, especially Tadase. However, they weren't the only one in the picture. Next to Tadase, stood two taller figures. I recognized the midnight blue hair almost immediately. What was Ikuto doing in this photograph? Beside him stood Utau evidently, with her iconic blonde pigtails. She was grinning beside her brother.

"That was taken a long time ago." I nearly forgot I was in Nadeshiko's room. "Besides the three you know, I haven't spoken to the others in some time."

"What happened to them?" I blurted, turning to face her. Nadeshiko sighed.

"We…cut ties. I'll spare you the details. Trust me when I say you wouldn't want to know." That was a lie though; I was immensely curious. I didn't have the faintest clue why Tadase hated Ikuto. He could be bothersome and teasing, but he seemed kind-hearted. Tadase did not seem like he would ever start a feud, so something significant must have happened.

"You were a cute child Nade," I pointed out.

"Thanks, though I have to say, Tadase was so much cuter. You're caught in his charm now, so how could you of all people find him not adorable then?" I frowned at Nadeshiko who merely chuckled.

"I-I'm not caught in his charm!" I exclaimed. "I'm going out with Kukai; I don't have a crush on Tadase anymore!" Nadeshiko had a skeptical face on. "Nade!"

"Maybe not a crush, but I know you still find him good-looking."

"Well…duh! B-But not like Kukai!" Nadeshiko smiled. We went back to the guest rooms and sat on our beds. I met Nadeshiko's dog Lucky, and he was so cute.

For the rest of the night, we continued talking and laughing. I told her all about my old friends, Yua, Takumi, and Deidre. I vented to her about Ami, and how annoying my family could be. I even told her about my horrid days in Middle School, and how I was briefly an obnoxious cheerleader. Nadeshiko was so easy to talk to, and she offered such helpful advice. I never just spilled out so much with Yua, or any of my other friends. It shocked me how much I trusted her.

Finally, it was almost midnight. I changed into pajamas, brushed my teeth, and climbed into one of the guest beds. Nadeshiko went into the adjacent bed, having performed the same routine. The lights were out now. There was still one secret I still withheld from Nadeshiko. However, I did trust her. Maybe I could tell her without being judged.

"Hey, Nade?" I wondered, without being able to see her.

"What is it?" Nadeshiko asked. I took a deep breath.

"I… You know that picture you had in your room before, the one with you and the guardians and those other people?"

"Mhm?"

"Well…" I exhaled. "The truth is, I've been seeing the guy in it, Ikuto I mean. B-But not like _seeing_ seeing; like just as friends. I saw Utau in concert too, and we all went out one night to fight against a demon. I should have told you earlier, but once I saw Ikuto after a werewolf a transformation, and Tadase just seemed so mad and told me to stay away, but-"

"You didn't know why you should stay away," Nadeshiko interjected.

"Exactly! I don't know what happened…"

"I… I guess everyone has their own opinion to make. It's a difficult thing for all of us to talk about. I can't tell you to stay away from them, but I just want you to be cautious. If you want to befriend them, go ahead, but just stay on guard and don't let your defenses down."

"What about the others?" I wondered. "Kukai, Tadase, and Yaya I mean. Should I tell them that I'm friendly with Ikuto and Utau?"

"I'd keep it from them. Those three were always closer with the Tsukiyomi siblings than I was, though Utau and I did get along quite well. I'm happy you entrusted me with it though."

"Thank you… I wasn't sure how you would react, but I'm glad you understand."

"Of course, Amu. Like I said, just watch your back."

"Will do. Thanks for being such a good friend. I've never told anyone everything I told you…" I could practically guess Nadeshiko was smiling.

"Thank you for moving here Amu. I'm so happy I met you. I'll always be there for you, okay? Don't hesitate to tell me anything."

"I promise. Good night Nade!"

"Night." It did not take me long to drift to sleep.

* * *

_A plethora of voices filled my mind, each screaming the same two words: the key. No matter where I walked in the vast white room, the voices would not cease. The voices began to crescendo, eventually reaching a loud sound I could not handle within my mind._

* * *

I sat up immediately, sweating profusely. I was breathing at a rapid rate, unable to process what had just happened. I should not have been too frightened; I have had dreams just like this before, except with the word soon. However, I found myself still shivering of fright.

"Amu, are you alright?!" Nadeshiko exclaimed, seemingly also awake. She was already dressed, wearing the same kimono as yesterday. "Another dream?" I nodded slowly.

"I-It wasn't really much," I admitted. "They spoke of a key, which I've heard before."

"The key to opening the gate you mentioned in your other dream?" Nadeshiko wondered.

"I'm not sure, but probably…" I thought for a moment. "Hey Nade? Ikuto gave me a lock when we first met, and later said that it needed to be opened with a key. Do you think the two are connected?"

"Do you have this lock with you?" Nadeshiko asked.

"No…"

"Well, Ikuto had this lock once, and the old tale is that if opened with a matching key by the worthy one, great power would be exerted. I mean, it isn't spoken by an oracle, but it could be true. It's definitely worth looking into. You are the one of the prophecy, so you could be related to this too." I shifted uncomfortably.

"Ikuto mentioned something about Tadase when I mentioned the dream to him. Does he have this key?"

"You told Ikuto the dream?" I nodded slowly. Nadeshiko shook her head slowly. "No, I know Tadase doesn't possess this key. I don't know the whereabouts, but I know Tadase doesn't have it." I nodded slowly. "Say Amu, how exactly did you meet Ikuto?"

"Well, actually I met him before I met you guys," I admitted. "I was taking a walk the first day I arrived here, and he just randomly came over. I was confused, because he was talking about me being the one. Later, he showed up at my house which was nearby his apparently, and then it became a common occurrence. I still don't know anything about him really except that he's a werewolf and that he is somehow connected with you guys."

"You must be really curious." I nodded slowly. "I guess you should know what happened." She opened her mouth to continue talking, and then suddenly stopped. "Amu, get dressed quickly; there's a demon nearby."

"W-What?! How do you know?!" I wondered.

"I sense its aura nearby. It's a quite powerful one I believe." Nadeshiko turned away, preparing her weapon. I quickly changed into jeans and a tee-shirt, and slipped my sneakers on.

"Well, this means I can simply stay back and watch, right?" Nadeshiko chuckled.

"You're going to be helpful. You handled the Shifter Demon well in the simulation; you can handle this." She handed me a weapon. "I was going to prepare you further with this, but I'll just let you get used to it on your own, since that's the best way to acquaint yourself with a weapon. This is a spiked flail. Hold it by the wooden part." I held it nervously. The flail was basically a wooden section with a metal spiked ball on the other end.

"Why do you think I'll be good with this?" I wondered.

"This weapon is not very specific. I figured a better suited weapon for you would be one that you can manipulate how you desire. You can throw it, swing it, whatever. You'll get the hang of it. Come on." I followed Nadeshiko through her long hallways, and out the back door. To my dismay, she had an immaculate garden in the back. There was a beautiful fountain in the center, with some benches surrounding it. Flowers were planted nearby, and they were beautiful and rare. It was so beautiful. Slightly out of place stood a basketball hoop. I wondered who in the family played basketball. I highly doubted Nadeshiko ever would do that, since basketball didn't seem very elegant, and her mother probably wouldn't allow it.

"Over there!" Nadeshiko pointed out, pointing to a dark green creature. It blended in with the trees, but looked slightly humanoid. Due to its slightly larger chest, I could presume it was a female.

"Let me guess; is it called the Camouflage Demon?" I wondered. Nadeshiko chuckled.

"Nice try, but it isn't a demon at all, though there are actually Camouflage Demons. It's a nymph. They are considered the guardians of the forest. No wonder I sensed such immense power; it wasn't a demon at all."

"H-How do we attack them?"

"They usually are pacifists, but this one seems angered for some reason." The nymph stepped closer, and shot a vine from its arm. Nadeshiko grabbed my arm, and we both dodged the attack. Nadeshiko took out her naginata, and swung it at the nymph. It cried out in pain, and fell to the ground.

"Amu, call Yaya," Nadeshiko instructed. "She can freeze it and help transport it to the Royal Garden." I nodded, pulling out my cell phone. The nymph turned its expression to me, and seemingly glared.

"You," It hissed, lifting its arm. Since when did it speak English? Vines came out, and grabbed my phone, tossing it to the ground.

"Nade!" I cried, backing up slowly.

"Amu, the flail!" Nadeshiko cried. I complied, lifting the weapon. I spun the wooden stick part around, watching the ball spin. I swung it at the nymph, hitting it in the stomach. It was in pain, but continued to shoot vines at me. I cut them with the steel ball. Unfortunately, the nymph grabbed the flail from me, and tossed it to the side. With my luck, the metal part happened to hit my phone, cracking it completely. How would I explain that to my parents? That was not my concern at the moment.

"I don't want to fight!" I cried desperately to the nymph. "I'm just a girl! Please!"

"You are the one who will disrupt the balance of nature. You should not exist. I will change that." The nymph wrapped vines around me, and squeezed them tightly.

"I surrender!" I cried, tears rolling down my cheeks. "Please, stop!"

"This is not war; your efforts to escape are futile. You should not exist." I moaned loudly.

"Nade!" I cried. She was tied up in vines too. She winked at me, to my dismay. What was that supposed to mean?! I was going to die!

Suddenly, a strange sensation swept through me. My eyes closed involuntarily. For that moment, I felt completely calm. I could not even come close to fathoming the feeling I had at that moment. When my eyes opened, I found myself and Nadeshiko no longer tied by vines. She was staring at me, completely dismayed. Her eyes were dilated. What had happened? Suddenly, the nymph was frozen. I glanced over, seeing the other three guardians. Yaya grinned happily, having frozen the nymph. Tadase muttered something under his breath, and the nymph was gone.

"Are you two alright?!" Tadase exclaimed.

"Yeah… I'm fine, but Amu… what was that?" I looked at Nadeshiko curiously.

"What was what?" I was completely puzzled.

"Yeah, I saw that too!" Kukai exclaimed. "Some weird white light emitted from you or something. The vines surrounding you two just completely vanished, but it wasn't a spell. I've never seen anything quite like that!"

"I felt something weird, but I don't remember doing that… I just felt this sensation, and then suddenly the vines were gone. I emitted white light?!" I was perplexed.

"That wasn't magic, or any spell I've ever seen," Tadase pointed out.

"Well, whatever that was, I suddenly feel exhausted. I should tell my mom to pick me up…oh…" I turned back to my broken phone. "Well, that sucks."

"I'll give you a ride!" Kukai offered. I turned to him, and smiled. Nadeshiko got my stuff from inside. I managed to quickly use the bathroom and brush my teeth before I left.

I sat in the passenger's seat beside Kukai. He started the engine, and started driving me home. He seemed to remember my address.

"I guess I'm not going to be able to text you anymore," I pointed out.

"Aw man!" Kukai whined. "I hope you get a new phone soon! Well, do you have a Skype? We could talk on there. We can even video chat." I smiled.

"Yeah, that sounds great. I'm really tired right now, so I'm going to sleep when I get home. Geez, I suck at lying, so I'm going to need to come up with something good." Kukai laughed.

"Nade could have helped you; she's a flawless liar. Seriously, she once played an April fool's prank on me and told me that a certain girl had a crush on me. It was so awkward, because I really believed it, and then I went up to the girl, and she laughed in my face. That was the meanest thing Nade's ever done." I smiled.

"That would have been funny to see I bet."

"Oh god, I'm so happy you weren't there to see that. I looked like such an idiot."

"Yeah, but you're a cute idiot." I turned bright red. "I'm sorry, I really suck at this flirting thing…"

"Nah, it's cool. It's pretty cute actually." We pulled over to my house, the wheel slightly above the curb. "See you tomorrow! Hey, the dance is Wednesday."

"Oh yeah! Great, can't wait!"

"Hey Amu, before you go, I wanted to tell you something." I turned to him. "I overheard something during your fight against the nymph. You are much more than just a girl; you're amazing and powerful. Never think so lowly of yourself, 'kay? You are one of the coolest people I have ever met, and I thought that even before we started going out."

"Kukai… Thanks so much…" We looked at each other for a moment, and I wondered if Kukai was contemplating kissing me. That would have been my first kiss. I knew that I could have just as easily initiated it, but I was too shy. I took a deep breath, waiting for it to happen.

"See you later Amu!" Kukai suddenly said, grinning. I nodded, waving to him. I climbed out of the car, and walked inside, slightly disappointed that we did not kiss.

"Oh Amu! I tried to text you, but you didn't answer," My mother pointed out.

"Sorry Mom; I dropped my phone pretty far." I lifted up my broken phone.

"Oh my god!" My father exclaimed.

"You're at the age where having a phone is essential, especially given that you have a boyfriend, so you will have a new one as soon as possible. Say Amu, who did you get a ride from?" My cheeks flushed.

"Well, my other friends happened to stop by also not to sleep over, but, um, it may or may not be Kukai…" My mother beamed.

"This boy can drive?! NOOO I'M RUNNING AWAY!" I watched as my father ran off to the bathroom. I looked back at my mother.

"Ami's out, so you have the house free to yourself," My mother told me.

"Actually, I'm exhausted," I admitted.

"You had an all-nighter?" I nodded slowly, feeling guilty about lying. "I used to do that with my friends too. Go rest." I complied, and immediately fell to sleep upon hitting the sheets.

* * *

**(No POV)**

"Nadeshiko, what was that?" Tadase asked her. "Not only Hinamori-San, but nymphs are usually peaceful." After Amu and Kukai had left, Tadase and Yaya had stayed slightly longer. Nadeshiko lowered her eyes.

"I don't know," She admitted. "It must be some form of Amu's powers prematurely. Whatever powers Amu possesses, this must just be a preview of it. Regarding the nymph, I don't know… that struck me as odd as well."

"That was really cool though!" Yaya exclaimed. "She didn't even know she did it…"

"Yaya's right; it seems to be involuntary," Tadase pointed out. "Hinamori-San seemed so exhausted afterward. I'm concerned about her. What if exhaustion only worsens, as she begins to access her powers more deeply?"

"We can't afford to contemplate that now," Nadeshiko whispered. "Amu's already becoming really important to us. I don't even want to consider that…"

"No; Amu-Chi can't get hurt!" Yaya cried. "What would Kukai do?"

"We can't tell him this…" Tadase muttered. "I don't think it's very serious between them, but still. I just…" Tadase sighed. "If our theory is correct… I wish Hinamori-San wasn't so likeable. She's such a kind person, and she really complements us well." Nadeshiko looked at Tadase surprised.

"I love her so much, not anything more than friends of course. She trusts me and looks to me for advice. We have to protect her." Tadase nodded.

"Nadeshiko-San, it is time for your dance practice." Nadeshiko nodded toward her mother, and turned to Yaya and Tadase. "See you two tomorrow."

"Goodbye Nadeshiko." Tadase waved, and led Yaya out of the Fujisaki Manor.

* * *

**Wow, this chapter came out extremely long. This chapter contained many hints for later events. I absolutely love writing the Amu and Nadeshiko parts. I basically confirmed that a certain secret of Nadeshiko's is true, but who else in this story knows? Also, what actually happened with Ikuto and Utau? And what powers does Amu possess? Lots and lots of questions. The dance chapter is next by the way, so you all have a lot to look forward to! As usual, please review/favorite/alert! I'll definitely update more rapidly, since I still have three more weeks off before school and no more vacations.**


	9. Dancing The Night Away

**I'm really sorry about the delayed update! I had only been updating one of my stories, since I wanted to finish it off. Well, this may or may not be the last update before school starts for me (I start next Monday). I'll shoot for another one, but we'll see what actually happens. If I don't, then expect much slower updates unfortunately in the future. I recently got into the song The Devil Within by Digital Daggers (I think it played on Pretty Little Liars or something, which I haven't watched), and it really seems appropriate for this story. Anyhow, I own nothing, and enjoy! I've been quite excited for this one!**

* * *

It still baffles me why my parents decided to purchase me an iPhone, fully aware of my klutziness. However, I wasn't about to complain; I received a free smartphone! Unfortunately, I had to get all of my contacts again. Really, that meant I only had my parents and Ami, who also got an iPhone due to her being spoiled, the guardians, and my four friends I originally sat at lunch with. I was unable to ask Yua and my old friends for their numbers, since I couldn't text her. Fortunately, she was able to text me. However, having a new phone was not my ultimate concern that Wednesday morning.

Like usual, I heard voices in my mind that night. Instead of my alarm, my new phone woke me up from them. I yawned, seeing a new text message appear on my screen, from Kukai. I smiled sleepily, and unlocked my phone.

_The dance is today!_ His text read. I contemplated replying, but I was too lazy. His reminder only further augmented the beating of my heart. Today was the dance. I would be attending said dance with a guy I was dating for a week now. To say I wasn't nervous would be a vast lie. I glanced at the time on my phone, realizing that I really had to get ready. I jumped into the shower, brushed my teeth, and changed into a tank top with a denim jacket over it, and pants. I headed down the stairs, and ate a quick breakfast, before having my father drive me to school. The dance would be held in the gym at seven tonight.

I went to my locker as usual, and entered my Social Studies classroom. Other students watched me keenly. It was no secret anymore that I was dating the popular Kukai Souma. He was quite popular, not only for being a guardian, but for being an extremely talented soccer player. I told him that I would love to see him play, but unfortunately, it wasn't soccer season.

"I'm going to ask Tadase-Kun to the dance," Saaya declared, as I took my seat beside her. I ignored her, and pulled out the necessary books. It didn't even occur to me that she was speaking to me. "We're going to dance the night away together. I have more of a chance with him than you do with Kukai." I looked at her at that moment.

"I'm already going out with Kukai," I pointed out. "I think I have a pretty good shot considering that." A smirk crossed Saaya's face.

"You know that he had another girlfriend before you." He has briefly mentioned seeing someone else, but never specified. Why would Saaya know this? "They were madly in love and super serious. He doesn't look at you that way, Amu. You're just a replacement for her; you'll never quite live up to her in his mind."

"That's not true," I told her. "He cares about me. Besides, since when do you know anything about him?"

"Everyone knows Kukai; he's popular."

"Well, he's mine, and it's really none of your business our relationship." I turned around, ignoring the rapid beating of my heart. "Our relationship will run much smoother than yours with Tadase, considering he isn't even going to say yes to you." What made me say that?! I could feel the anger of Saaya practically radiating out of her.

Finally, the bell rang, and in theory, class was supposed to begin. Five minutes later, Nikaidou waltzed in, muttering an apology for being late. Today we had an exam, so he passed back sheets of papers, and the room filled with silence. I could feel someone staring at me, as I took my test. I felt extremely paranoid. I glanced over at Saaya, but she was focused on her test. I shook off the feeling, and continued taking my test. To my surprise, it was quite easy. I felt surprisingly confident, as I checked over my work, and handed my test to Nikaidou. He took it, but studied me cautiously. I walked back to my seat, slightly disturbed. Since other students were doing it, I pulled out my cell phone, only to find another text message from Kukai. Apparently, he had taken a test too, so he could text. I replied back, and began a conversation with him for the rest of the period.

The day managed to accelerate rapidly. As the time drew nearer for the final bell to ring, I felt even more nervous. I couldn't dance. Kukai was about to learn how horrible of a dancer his girlfriend was. Once the bell did ring, I went to my locker, and put away my books, since my teachers were nice enough to not give homework.

"Boo!" A voice called. I let out a shrill scream, turning around rapidly, facing Kukai. He burst out laughing, patting my head reassuringly. Students looked at me, either rolling their eyes or watching me enviously.

"Holy crap… Kukai?! You gave me a heart attack!" He laughed, and helped me to my feet.

"I didn't quite expect that reaction," Kukai pointed out. "Someone doesn't like ghosts, huh?" I shuddered slightly. When I was younger, I had gone inside a haunted mansion decorated for Halloween. I had merely scoffed at it then, since I doubted the existence of all of that stuff, though it did turn out to be real. While I was inside, I heard a peculiar noise, and when I followed the source of the sound, the lights around me vanished. I could feel a chill, and heard noises typically associated for ghosts. Since I was so young, it had traumatized me for life. I repeated my story to Kukai.

"It actually could have been a ghost," Kukai pointed out, his face completely serious. My face paled. "They do like to come haunt you when it's pitch black. That's when they really strike."

"W-What?!" My voice croaked. "T-They're real?!"

"Mhm! I've killed as many ghosts as I have demons, though I've came pretty close to dying." I did not even want to guess how pale my face was. Upon seeing my face, he burst out laughing hysterically. "Amu, you're so freaking cute! I'm joking with you; ghosts aren't real! That's one thing that actually isn't. Vampire are real, but that's the only dead-like creature that's around. Well, I've heard rumors of zombies, but they're not common." I could have killed Kukai at that moment. He took my hand, and walked with me to the Royal Garden.

When we finally arrived, we were the last ones to enter. Yaya was munching on a candy bar, when she glanced up and waved. Nadeshiko and Tadase both smiled at us. I remembered Saaya's declaration. Tadase was definitely not going to dance with her. This involuntarily pleased me that I knew he would say no.

"Yay it's the dance today!" Yaya exclaimed, grinning.

"Are you dancing with anyone today, Yaya?" I asked, remembering her comment about getting a date. I had actually done that…

"Yup!" Kukai's mouth dropped open.

"Wait, what?! Yaya, you didn't even think that you should tell your big brother that-"

"Yaya's dancing with the dessert table!" Kukai smiled, seeming pleased. That was so typical of her. I looked at him. He was clearly protective of Yaya. Even though she wasn't his literal sister, he still treated her as if she was his. It was really sweet. I wondered if Ikuto and Utau had that type of relationship, though it seemed that Utau had some sort of obsession with him.

"Of the five of us, it seems that you two are the only ones with partners," Nadeshiko pointed out. She winked at me. I smiled at her.

"Well, I'm sure you three all have annoying fans lined up that are going to ask you to dance," Kukai pointed out.

"No one has asked Yaya, actually…" Yaya told him.

"Nadeshiko, how many times would you estimate that Saaya asked me to the dance?" Tadase asked, turning to her.

"Oh, well over five," Nadeshiko estimated.

"Saaya is really obnoxious," Tadase muttered. "I mean, I try to be nice to people, but it's so difficult. She constantly flirts with me and makes her feelings for me quite blatant, and is really rude to everyone else."

"Ugh, I'm so happy she is over me now," Kukai murmured. I wondered if that was why Saaya was attempting to push me away from Kukai. Was she trying to get him for herself?

"We should probably end the guardian meeting early," Tadase suggested. "We'll meet up later for the dance." We nodded, and I got a ride from Kukai again.

"Say Amu, what would say about me picking you up?" I looked at him, as he pulled over to the curb. "I mean, they always show those guys always picking girls up in a cliché manner outside of the house. I could drive us to the dance."

"It's fine. I might take a while anyway. Thanks though!"

"Alright! See you there!" He waved to me, as I got out, and he drove away. I went inside, and immediately went to my room to change into the dress I had purchased. I took off my clothing, minus my undergarments, and lifted the dress I would be wearing. It was lavender, and extended below my knees. It had short sleeves, so I wore a black blouse over it, with a matching black headband. I examined myself in the mirror. I couldn't deny I looked pretty good. I just hoped Kukai would like it.

"The Winter's End Dance, hm?" I was surprised to suddenly see a figure beside me in the mirror. He was significantly taller than me, my pink hair only reaching his shoulder.

"Ikuto… What are you doing here?" I wondered.

"You left your balcony door opened again, so I figured I would pop in," He explained. "Someone is quite dressed up; you're looking forward to dancing with Kukai?" I had nearly forgotten I told him that I was dating Kukai.

"I-I guess…" I muttered shyly. I opened my mouth to speak again, when I voice interrupted me.

"Amu! You should get going!"

"Coming Mom!" I called, and then looked at Ikuto. "Well, I'm heading to the dance. Catch you later." He nodded, hopping down the balcony. I closed the balcony door, slightly embarrassed I keep forgetting to, and bounded down the steps. I nearly tripped again, but managed to catch myself.

"Wow Sissy! You look like a princess!" Ami exclaimed, marveling at me. "I bet this Kukai is one dreamy fellow."

"A-Ami!" I exclaimed, flustered. She giggled.

"Shall we get going?" My mother wondered. I nodded, waving to my father, who was watching me with an expression of pure horror. My mother drove me to the school, and dropped me off outside the gym. I stepped out of the car, holding my purse in one hand. I waved to my mother, and felt my stomach churn. I was extremely petrified in fear. What if I made a fool of myself? What if Kukai thought I was ugly? I knew my "what if" scenarios were extremely irrational, but I could not help myself. I walked inside the gym, only to see crowds of students in the gym, dancing to a song played by the DJ. It was one of those Pop songs that was way overplayed.

I frantically searched around, desperate to find one of my friends. The feeling of standing alone frightened me. I felt like some sort of social outcast. Where were they?

"Amu!" Hearing Nadeshiko's voice relaxed me. I walked over to her, and smiled. She wore a simple green dress that managed to look utterly amazing, despite being so casual. "You look amazing."

"Thanks," I muttered bashfully. "You do too!" She beamed. Tadase made his way towards us. I turned my head, trying to conceal my blush. Tadase looked extremely hot in his suit. However, I was seeing Kukai, so I couldn't have those thoughts. Maybe one compliment wouldn't be horrible.

"T-Tadase-Kun, you, err, look nice," I complimented, annoyed at the fact I was faltering. He looked at me, and smiled warmly.

"Thank you Hinamori-San; you look pretty yourself. Kukai is going to love your dress."

"Kukai really does!" The auburn-haired boy snuck behind me, though didn't nearly scare me as much as he did earlier. I raised an eyebrow at his sudden third-person speech. "You do look awfully attractive Amu." His suit suited him well as well.

"You do too," I muttered shyly.

"Sorry guys, I'm leading her away." Nadeshiko and Tadase nodded, smiling as Kukai took my hand, and guided me to a secluded area on the dance floor. We passed by Yaya, who was too preoccupied with the chocolate fountain to pay any mind to us. An upbeat song was playing. I was swaying back and forth, unsure of how to dance. Kukai merely watched me, and laughed.

"You're really good at dancing!" Kukai told me, yelling over the music.

"S-Shut up!" I whined. He laughed. "I'm not _that_ bad… I mean, it's impossible to be as good as Nadeshiko."

"Well yeah, but she's practiced all of her life," Kukai pointed out. The song ended, and suddenly, the DJ stood up.

"Now, we're welcoming a new singer to the stage. Sponsored by Easter, she's been gaining national attention rapidly." Easter? That's where my parents worked, right? I went there for Utau's concert that time. Wait, Utau was a new singer! "Please welcome to the stage, Utau Hoshina!" Applause sounded in the room, as the blonde-haired singer I had briefly gotten to know entered the stage. She was wearing a turquoise dress and had her blonde pigtails curled at the bottom. She took the microphone that was conveniently placed on stage, and began singing into it. She was singing her song Meikyuu Butterfly that I had previously heard live.

I could feel the grip on my hand get tighter. I looked up at Kukai. To my astonishment, his face completely paled. I remembered the picture I saw at Nadeshiko's house, and remembered how something happened between them. Again, I found myself wondering the same thing.

"Kukai? Are you alright?" I whispered, hearing Utau's powerful voice sounding throughout the gym. He looked up at me, and forced a half-smile.

"Yeah, of course!" I could see he was empty though. "Come on, let's dance." I watched, as he attempted to dance to the upbeat song Utau song. Still, I could sense something was the matter. Utau suddenly grabbed a CD from her bag, and through it into the audience. Many people fought for it, but only one caught it. Utau tossed a few more out, many students racing to catch them. Despite reaching to throw her CDs, her voice didn't cease for even a second. Finally, the song ended, and the students began cheering loudly. I removed my hand from Kukai's to clap as well. To my surprise, Kukai did not clap. In fact, he seemed completely dazed.

"A-Amu…" I turned to him, just as she started singing another song. I recognized the song as a song that wasn't actually hers. It was a ballad, prompting many couples to dance together. "She…She's the singer you saw in concert, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"N-No reason." He forced a smile. "Let's dance!" He placed a hand on my waist, and I did the same to him, shyly. He took my other hand in his, and began swaying us back and forth. Although I felt extremely paranoid, I couldn't deny how good this felt. Feeling his hand on my waist provided me with intense warmth and happiness.

"I really like this," I whispered, hoping not to endanger the tranquility of the moment.

"Yeah, me too…" Somehow, his voice seemed empty. Something was missing. Normally, he was so upbeat and cheerful, but it was almost as if it was drained from him. We suddenly stopped dancing, though Utau's voice continued. Kukai was staring at me in the eyes. I could feel my cheeks getting warm by the second, but I watched him back.

"Kukai…" He began leaning closer to me. I did the same, feeling our faces meet. Our noses touched. I had never been this close to a guy before, well besides the times Ikuto teased me. Kukai began to move his lips closer to mine. I hardly even noticed the fact Utau abruptly stopped singing.

To my utter dismay, he suddenly jerked back, his eyes dilated. I watched him, completely puzzled. Why had he suddenly pulled back? We didn't even get a chance to kiss!

"I-I'm sorry," He spat, stepping backward. "I- I can't do this, I can't…" He suddenly jogged off, leaving me standing there in completely bewilderment. I could not fathom what had just happened. Did he dump me? I could feel my body shaking, and my eyes getting watery. The music that restarted from the DJ and not Utau seemed unimportant to me. I could care less about the fact Utau stood on the stage, with a bemused expression. I stood there, staring at the empty spot beside me. I could care less about the students surrounding me.

What made me finally glance up was the sound of shattering glass. People gasped around me, as a large demon pounced in the room. I recognized this one; it was a Brute Demon, the first demon I had ever encountered. However, it was much larger than other demons I had ever seen. I stared at it, watching it claw at several people. Students were screaming, and dashing toward the exit of the gym.

"Hinamori-San!" A voice called to me, snapping me out of my trance. I turned, facing Tadase, Nadeshiko, and Yaya. Kukai was nowhere to be seen.

"The demon…" I whispered. "It's so large…"

"Where's Kukai?" Nadeshiko asked. My eyes darkened. Nadeshiko put a comforting hand on my shoulder, as if she understood. I looked at her, surprised.

"Kukai?" Yaya called, searching for her brother-like figure.

"He…He took off," I murmured. "I don't know why. W-We almost kissed, and then he suddenly claimed he couldn't do this, and just ran off. I don't know why…"

"It's okay Hinamori-San," Tadase soothed, glancing at Nadeshiko. "We have to focus on the demon now." I nodded, glancing up at the large figure. The gym was empty, with the exception of us, and few other people. I could infer they were Easter employees, considering they wore shirts that said Easter on them. Utau stood there, watching the demon intensely.

"Hoshina-San, it's time to leave," One of the Easter employees told her. Utau looked at him, and nodded slowly. I watched, as they nonchalantly walked away. They didn't seem surprised or anything that there was suddenly a demon. That couldn't be a coincidence. I noticed Nadeshiko eying them as well, clearly having the same suspicions.

"Burn!" Yaya called, shooting fire at the Brute Demon. The fire merely seemed to anger it more. He bared its fangs, and growled. Yaya bit her lip, and shot thunder at it. Nadeshiko pulled out her naginata, and extended it to become normal size. She swung it at the demon, attempting to harm it. Tadase even attempted some spells of his own, such as dazing it. I pulled out the spiked flail Nadeshiko had given me, and tossed it at the demon. Its attention suddenly diverted to me. I could see the anger in its eyes, as it drew nearer to me. My eyes widened. It completely ignored the presence of the other three, and focused entirely on me. I gulped, unsure of how to further defend myself.

Suddenly, it cried out in pain, and fell forward. To my dismay, Utau climbed off of the demon, fangs hanging out of her mouth. At this point I was completely horrified. The fangs shrunk, but there was still the trace of green blood upon her lips. She looked disgusted.

"Demon blood tastes horribly," She grumbled. She looked at the four of us, seeming very reserved.

"What was that?!" Tadase demanded, stepping closer to her. Her arms were crossed, as she stepped backward.

"What do you think it was? Don't play dumb, Tadase. You know exactly what I am." Nadeshiko and Yaya's eyes widened.

"Holy shit, I totally didn't realize there was a demon! I would have helped out, but-" Kukai's upbeat voice made me glance at the ground. He froze, upon seeing Utau. His eyes widened. She looked away from him rapidly.

"How long have you been…?" Tadase started.

"It will be a year in April," Utau muttered. "Well, I'm going to be on my way." She turned around, beginning to exit.

"What was that?" I asked, breaking the awkward silence. I knew there was something I still didn't get, but I felt excluded. "Utau, she…"

"She's a…vampire…" Kukai whispered, his voice sounding strained and desperate. It stung me slightly to hear his voice.

"Why did those employees seem so nonchalant about the demon?" Nadeshiko inquired. "They had to be involved somehow. I mean, they wouldn't act like that unless they've had experiences with the demons."

"It seems too coincidental, that she's a vampire, and she works for that company. We should investigate further at the next guardian meeting," Tadase suggested.

"Wait, but that company, Easter…" All eyes looked at me. "My parents work for them. My father is Utau's photographer and my mother writes articles about her. If they have a connection with demons…"

"Your parents will be safe," Tadase promised. "We'll work on everything tomorrow. We need to head back home. Hinamori-San, my mother is on her way, so do you want a ride?"

"Oh, um, sure! Thanks." I felt slightly shy about entering Tadase's car. As we waited outside to be picked up, I could her Kukai's footsteps draw nearer.

"Amu…"

"Not now," I muttered, following Tadase to his car. Kukai looked saddened, but completely shaken up. Whatever occurred between Kukai and Utau must have been rough. Suddenly, it dawned on me. Utau must have been the girl Kukai dated before me. It all made sense now. There must have been some bad breakup, or something. How come he was so surprised she was a vampire though? She said she has been a vampire almost a year. They must have broken up before then.

"Hinamori-San, what's your address?" Tadase asked. I told it to him, as I buckled in my seat. Tadase introduced me to his parents. I shyly greeted them.

They pulled up to my house, finding it quite easily. I thanked them, and went inside. I immediately went up to my room, and changed into my night clothes. So much had happened today at the dance. Perhaps my futile concerns earlier in the day for this dance were not entirely neurotic.

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**This chapter was pretty important for later. Yep, we finally know that Utau is a vampire! I've been waiting to drop that twist. Well, I'm sure you're all wondering what actually happened between Utau and Kukai (I'll simply say they dated at one point, that's all I'm saying), and Utau and Ikuto and Tadase. You will find out everything of their past soon enough. Please review/favorite/alert! **


	10. Powers Within

**This is probably going to be the fastest update for a while. School interferes with quite a lot. Anyhow, I own nothing, and enjoy!**

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Getting out of bed that morning seemed so arduous. Given the not-so ideal situation from last night's dance, I would have done anything to avoid attending school that day. It wasn't every day that you find out that a talented singer is actually a vampire who dated your boyfriend, who was still not over her, thus causing our relationship to be jeopardized.

"Amu, get up!" I could hear my mother yell. Groaning slightly, I forced myself out of my bed, and walked into the shower. I removed my clothing, and stepped into the running water. Unlike normal times, the shower was not reassuring. Instead, I found myself thinking about Utau. I wonder how her relationship went with Kukai. The amount of contempt between them allows me to infer that they must have been quite close before having some serious breakup. Did one of them cheat? If that happened, it must have been Utau. Kukai was extremely loyal, and did not strike me as the cheating type. I hardly knew Utau, so I had nothing to judge from.

I exited the shower, and washed my body. I brushed my teeth, and changed into an outfit for school, before descending the steps. I silently applauded myself for making it downstairs without tripping.

"How was Sissy's dance?" Ami wondered, spinning her cereal with her spoon. I grabbed a piece of toast, and spread jam across it. How did I answer that question? I couldn't just reveal the truth; they wouldn't believe me anyway.

"I heard that there was some sort of monster at the school dance on the news," My mother started. I gulped, nearly dropping the toast. How would I cover that up?

"Oh no, apparently it was just a practical joke the principal was playing," My father told my mother. "You must have missed the end of the story. Students were panicking, but it was just a joke. Amu-darling would have mentioned it if it was something serious." I sighed a breath of relief. Tsukasa must have covered it up. I had nearly forgotten he was an oracle and knew about everything.

"O-Of course," I faltered, feeling a pang of guilt. How would they react if they knew what I did as a guardian? They merely thought I was a part of the student council. If they knew I was supposedly involved with some prophecy and fought demons in my spare time…

"Amu, could you walk to school today? We need to head to work early today. It seems that Easter is very busy lately." I nodded slowly. Easter… What were they busy with? Perhaps it was worth mentioning to the others. I grabbed my school bag, and walked to school.

It was still cool, given that it was winter. However, it was evident that the weather was getting warmer, since spring was on its way. The trees were still barren, but at least the snow was off of the streets. Snow and ice were horrible, since it always prompted me to trip and usually fall. My denim jacket was buttoned to the highest button, keeping me extra warm. I wore red pants, given that it was gym today. As I continued walking, I passed a lake. I studied it for a moment, seeing that it had melted. I looked into it, seeing my reflection. I brushed back some of my pink hair, noticing that I had some loose strands.

"Amu Hinamori, the girl of the prophecy." I froze, upon hearing the voice beside me. I stared into the lake, dismayed not to see a reflection beside me. Where was this voice coming from, and why did it sound so familiar? It suddenly dawned on me exactly who was beside me. There was only one mythological creature I could think of that did not show its reflection, and that was a vampire.

"Utau…" I glanced up at her. Her blonde hair was tied into a snow hat, in some attempt to conceal her identity to the public. She wore sunglasses, despite the lack of sun.

"Do you know what it's like, to stare into a mirror, but see nothing back?" I shook my head slowly. "Seeing your reflection is a sign of mortality. Ordinary people like you can gaze into your reflection, and see who you are. It proves that you have some sort of meaning. I'm worthless; nothing more than some blood-sucking creep that should not exist." Her voice sounded grim. I could not begin to fathom what that was like.

"I…I'm sorry," I murmured, unsure of what to say.

"I envy you, Amu Hinamori. You can live a normal life, have normal problems- something I couldn't even have when I was human, let alone now. Heck, you can even have a normal relationship. No one would ever look twice at a freak like me." I lowered my eyes, realizing she was referring to Kukai.

"You…You were with him?"

"It seems like just yesterday," She admitted, sighing. "Whatever. I'm different now." She crossed her arms. I didn't know what to say to her. It wasn't exactly like my relationship with him was pitch perfect.

"You two must have had a bitter breakup," I pointed out. "You two don't even talk?" She shook her head. "Kukai doesn't seem like the type of guy who isn't willing to remain friends. He's really easy-going."

"It was my fault," Utau told me, sighing. She clenched her fists. I waited for her to continue, but she didn't.

"It must have been a long time. I mean, you've moved on, and…" Upon seeing her facial expression, I realized I must have made a colossal mistake. I wished I could have closed my mouth at that moment. She averted her eyes, and had an extremely poignant expression. "Oh my god, you haven't…"

"It's stupid. He's two years younger than me. I just… You take care of him, alright?" She was shaking slightly. "He's a good kid."

"If it means anything to you, I don't think our relationship is going to last," I admitted. Utau looked back at me. Before she could open her mouth, I faintly heard the bell ring. I gasped. "Crap! I'm going to be so late! Catch you later Utau!" I jogged off rapidly.

"You sounded just like him then…" I heard Utau faintly mumble.

Without even stopping at my locker, I barged into Nikaidou-Sensei's classroom, and rapidly apologized for being late. He rolled his eyes, and instructed me to my seat. Social Studies was quite boring as always. We went over material that was going to be on my World War I test tomorrow.

It seemed like I completely breezed through the classes before lunch. I gulped, carrying my lunchbox outside to the Royal Garden to eat. I knew exactly who was going to be there, and who I would not be able to evade any longer. I walked with Tadase and Nadeshiko into the Royal Garden, only to find the auburn-haired boy waiting. He grinned up at Tadase and Nadeshiko, and turned to me. His grin subsided.

"Amu…" Kukai started. I sighed, sitting down in my seat. "Can I…?"

"Go ahead," I muttered, curious to what he would say.

"Oh, um, well…do you want to go somewhere private?" He asked. I glanced over at Tadase and Nadeshiko.

"Alright…" I stood up, and followed Kukai out of the Royal Garden. We stood outside, quite awkwardly. I knew I couldn't tell Kukai about my brief conversation with Utau this morning. I took a deep breath, wondering if I should break the silence. I opened my mouth to speak, but Kukai beat me to it.

"I suck," He merely stated, sighing. "I mean, it was completely wrong of me to just abandon you right before we kissed. I can't simply say sorry. I probably ruined your night…"

"You and Utau…" His eyes darkened.

"That was once a thing," He admitted dryly. "I should have told you about her. We were closer than close. Everyone thought we were going to get married one day. Yeah, she was older than me, but it still managed to work. I was so in love with her. You know me, I'm just some dumb jock who doesn't get anything, though I somehow manage to remain in Honors classes… However, I really did understand the amount of love I had for that girl. And the best part? She reciprocated it! She mocked me constantly, calling me a kid, god, she had so many names for me. And I called her names too! Yaya was like a cheerleader for our relationship…" Kukai laughed slightly, enjoying a sweet memory. He stopped for a minute, sighing. "And then one day, almost exactly a year ago, she randomly came to my house. I didn't think much of it; she came over a lot." He took a deep breath. "Like usual, my brothers teased me, calling me 'lover boy' or whatnot. I was completely oblivious to why she was there. I greeted her. Without a real conversation, she told me that it was over." I could see tears forming in Kukai's eyes. He gulped. "I-I didn't get it. I tried to ask why, but she was already gone. To this day, I still don't know… And now, she…she's a vampire… I just don't get it, you know? The previous day, we were so in love as usual, and then s-she just…" Kukai completely lost his composure. Tears began flooding down his cheeks.

"Kukai, I'm so sorry…" I tried to comfort. Why would Utau abandon him without telling him why, if she loved him still? He glanced up at me, forming a small smile.

"Don't apologize for anything Amu; I apologize for my behavior at the dance, and that's why. It hurt me too much to see her. I just remembered everything with her, and I couldn't deal with it… I almost… I don't know. I thought I would be ready for a new relationship, but apparently not…" He scratched the back of his head.

"Thanks, I guess, for being the first guy I've ever dated," I told him. He chuckled slightly.

"Amu, can this not ruin our friendship? I absolutely adore you, as friends, way before I got with you. You're awesome! We once had this girl in the guardians last year briefly, and she was horrible. You're the best new guardian we could have ever asked for! Seriously! So, whatever feelings we felt, can we transfer that into friendship?"

"Sounds great." I forced a smile. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder. I raised an eyebrow.

"This is not romantic! I do this all the time to Yaya and Nade and even Tadase. So, buddies?" I couldn't help but to laugh at Kukai. His optimism hardly ceased to cheer me up, even if he was the reason I was down. That was Kukai- you couldn't possibly stay mad at him. He turned to me, and grinned. "Let's head back!"

"Alright!" He grabbed my hand, and began dragging me to the Royal Garden. It frightened me how similar he acted around everyone, relationship or not. I could not imagine Kukai in a serious relationship with Utau of all people. We didn't have much time before school started up again, so we made our way to our classes. I waved to Kukai, as he jogged over to his class.

While in French class with Nadeshiko and Tadase, I found myself thinking intently about Kukai and Utau. I wondered what they were like, and why Utau dumped him. Was Ikuto overprotective of her? I smiled at that thought. Ikuto seems like he would be overprotective of his sister, though he did seem to get annoyed at her constantly.

"Amu! Ouvrez votre cahier!" The teacher instructed. I stared at her blankly, taking a couple of minutes to process what she said. I soon realized it was to open the binder. Embarrassed, I opened it to a blank piece of paper.

After two more grueling periods, school was over. I went to my locker, and collected my necessary books, before heading to the Royal Garden. I happened to be the last one to enter. The other four looked up at me, and smiled warmly. I greeted them, taking my respective seat.

"I did some research yesterday after the dance regarding this Easter Company," Nadeshiko started. "Apparently, they're some sort of company that sponsors different music groups. That would make sense that _she_ has affiliation." I didn't even have to ask who she was.

"What about Iku-Tan?" Yaya wondered. Everyone looked at Yaya grimly. I wondered why Yaya referred to him so lightly. "Is he involved too?"

"Probably," Tadase muttered. "Amu-Chan, you mentioned your parents are involved, right?" I nodded. "Do you know if they…?"

"They haven't mentioned anything about demons or vampires," I admitted. "My mother is a journalist and my father is a photographer, so they just feature a specific artist. Apparently they've been really busy lately."

"Guys, I can sense the auras of nearby demons," Nadeshiko announced. All of us immediately stood up, and went outside to confront the demons. To my dismay, there were many of them, about five. Simple math pointed out that each person would have to handle one, meaning I had to fight a demon all by myself. Yes, I managed to kill a few demons alone, but that didn't mean I wasn't frightened!

The others focused on one demon each, Tadase already muttering some nonsensical words under his breath, Nadeshiko swinging her naginata, Yaya spurting some spells as well, and Kukai tossing his dagger. I gulped, grabbing the flail, and tossing it at the demon. It seemed to remain unaffected by the attack.

"Hinamori-San, keep in mind that all of the demons are Invisibility Demons," Tadase warned me. "They can vanish anytime." As if on cue, the demon in front of me suddenly vanished. I bit my lip, trying to find where it was. It reminded me of the Shifter Demon. Suddenly, I felt something lunge onto me. Before I could react, I heard a small voice whisper in my head.

"Relax," It soothed. Somehow, I immediately felt tranquil. Every muscle in my body eased up, and I felt my eyes droop closed.

"Amu!" I heard Nadeshiko cry. It was irrelevant to me at this moment.

"S-She's floating!" Kukai cried. Involuntarily, I felt my hands move into a praying-like position. Similarly to the time at my sleepover with Nadeshiko, I felt an unfathomable power surge through me. After a few minutes, the feeling subsided. I opened my eyes, only to find myself tumbling to the ground. Tadase managed to use a spell just in time to catch me, gently floating me to the ground. I turned to him, and smiled, before getting a wave of exhaustion.

"What just happened?!" I wondered, falling to my knees. I looked around suddenly, realizing the demons were gone. "T-The demons…?!"

"They're gone," Nadeshiko told me. "You exerted some power, and they…vanished. Just like what happened against the nymph." Before I could reply, I felt myself becoming terribly faint. Right before the world turned black, I noticed the sight of someone watching with binoculars, with long orange hair tied into a ponytail. It seemed irrelevant compared to the fact that the world turned black.

I felt my eyes flutter open, as I stared at the walls of the Royal Garden. I also noticed four familiar teenagers gazing at me with worried eyes.

"Oh thank goodness you're alright!" Nadeshiko exclaimed. "We were so worried." I turned to her, and smiled warmly. I sat up, realizing I was lying on two chairs.

"What happened?" I asked, looking at her. "I remember the demons, and some weird power like on Sunday…"

"That sums it up," Kukai admitted. "You had no control over it?" I shook my head.

"That's like the prophecy, right?" Yaya pointed out. The others nodded, looking back at me.

"How long was I out for?" I wondered, feeling quite disoriented. The sky outside looked light out, so I figured it couldn't have been too long.

"About an hour," Tadase admitted.

"But, it's so light out…" I pointed out, surprised.

"Well, daylight savings just began a few days ago," Kukai pointed out. "Or it ended. I don't know the difference. It's a stupid tradition anyway! Why can't we just keep our clocks the same all year?" Nadeshiko opened her mouth to speak, but Kukai covered it quickly. "I don't want to hear the nerdy reply Nade!" She chuckled lightly underneath Kukai's hand.

"It began, for the record," Tadase pointed out. Kukai frowned at Tadase, and then turned to me suddenly.

"Told you I'm a simply a dumb jock."

"No you're not!" I tried to reason. He merely laughed, and patted my head.

"Well, I think I'm going to head home. I have to do my entire English assignment and now I'm exhausted from that whole thing. See you all tomorrow." I got up, and started walking home.

I immediately retreated to my room after arriving home. I was getting quite exhausted. Why did I have to procrastinate my English project? Now I had to do the entire thing by tomorrow. Ugh… It didn't help that I could have passed out at anything, and Ami was screeching- oh, I mean singing, downstairs. I continued working, and also remembered I had non-English homework. I really dislike school at times.

I managed to finish everything, and came downstairs for dinner at nine o'clock, my stomach growling an embarrassing amount. I stuffed down food like I was some monster. Ami was laughing hysterically at me. I frowned at her, and continued forcing down tons of mashed potatoes and chicken. Food never seemed this appetizing. For once, I hardly even cared if I would gain pounds; I just wanted to assuage my hunger.

Finally, after devouring the rest of the chicken the rest of my family didn't eat, I placed my dishes in the dishwasher, and sighed. I was really hoping I didn't get a stomachache. Suddenly, I heard some music playing. It sounded quite distant.

"I'm going to go out for a bit," I announced, curious as to what the sound was.

"It's late out Amu; come back before ten," My mother warned me. I merely nodded, and headed out the door, clutching my purse. As I made my way to the park nearby, I heard a gentle violin playing. The first thing I realized about the sound was that it sounded poignant and bittersweet. There was evidently emotion coming from the violinist. It was absolutely amazing. I used to play the violin in elementary school, but I had sounded like a dying animal. This was the epitome of beautiful. It seemed quite impeccable underneath the gibbous moon. As I stared at the person who possessed such beautiful notes, my eyes immediately widened. I recognized the midnight blue hair almost immediately. Since when did Ikuto play the violin? No matter, he was extremely talented. Music must have run in the family.

Finally, he stopped playing, and began to put his violin back in the case. I smiled, and began clapping. He looked up, startled. He looked at me briefly, before zipping up his case. I walked closer to him.

"I didn't know you played the violin," I told him.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," He bluntly replied. He put the violin case on his back, and turned to me. "Isn't it a little late for someone like you to be out now? You never know what's hiding in the dark of the night." I rolled my eyes.

"Says the guy who took me demon hunting at two in the morning."

"That was Utau," Ikuto reminded me. "I simply tagged along."

"Well…You were really talented Ikuto." He simply shrugged, and started walking. I decided to follow him, since he was going the direction of my house. I couldn't explain exactly what I felt at that moment. Hearing Ikuto play that benign melody almost made me realize that he was truly soft, despite the image he held on.

"Why are you following me?" He wondered.

"My house is this way," I pointed out. "You were going in the same direction, so I came along." He simply nodded.

"Dangerous stuff is coming," He suddenly muttered. I looked at him. "More and more people are becoming alert to who you are. Stay cautious."

"Who?" I inquired. "Easter?" He didn't say anything, but bleakly nodded. "How do you know them?!"

"We have an arrangement."

"What sort of arrangement?" I asked.

"This is my house," He abruptly told me, disregarding my question. I glanced over at it. To my surprise, his house was quite average, resembling mine. He lived two streets behind my house. I didn't realize he lived so close by.

"Ah, well, tell Utau I say hi, I guess."

"Will do. Oh, and Amu?" I looked at him curiously. "The key. I think that-"

"Ikuto, what did I tell you about staying out too late?!" Both of us turned, facing his mother. I gulped, wondering what I should do. Ikuto put his hands in his pockets, and scoffed.

"I'm twenty-one mother," He pointed out. "You don't have the right to boss me around."

"You're still living at home and are my son, so indeed I do. Who's the girl?" Ikuto glanced over at me. I smiled up at the woman who called herself Ikuto's mother.

"I-I'm just a-"

"You're Amu Hinamori, correct?" I turned, my eyes widening. A man walked over to Ikuto's mother, and put his arms around her waist. She let out a sigh. Ikuto crossed his arms, frowning.

"H-How do you know my name?" I asked nervously.

"You look just like your parents, Midori and Tsumugu Hinamori. They've mentioned you numerous times. Allow me to introduce myself." He stepped closer to me. "My name is Kazuomi Hoshina, and I am Ikuto's stepfather and your parents' boss. This is my wife, Souko Tsukiyomi-Hoshina." Ikuto gave me a look, as if resenting the relation. Souko lowered her eyes." So that's why Utau and Ikuto had different last names. Were they step-siblings?

"So you're the boss of Easter?" I exclaimed, before covering my mouth quickly.

"Precisely." He smiled warmly. He seemed nice enough, however, there clearly had to be something more. Why else would those Easter Workers act so nonchalantly around the demons? Another girl made her way beside her mother at the door. I noticed Utau at the door, and gave her a quick smile. Her eyes widened.

"Well, I better get going… I'll tell my parents that you said hello."

"That would be greatly appreciated. Talk to you later Miss Hinamori." I turned away, and walked back to my house. Kazuomi seemed really nice, so it seemed peculiar that he possessed a company with demons and vampires. Why did Ikuto act so suspicious? Upon entering my house, I suddenly was reminded of my exhaustion, and I collapsed on my bed without changing into pajamas.

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**This was mainly filler, but again, there are important events. I've been wanting to include the violin scene and meeting Kazuomi. As I've been teasing the entire story, there will be fun Tsukiyomi stories later! Anyhow, you know the drill: review, review, review! I really like reviews. Can we get 80 reviews this chapter? Eleven reviews one chapter? Go, go, go! **


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